[Goanet] Salaam – MondayMuse (7 Mar’16)
MONDAY MUSE (7 March 2016) SALAAM Tiffany Wayne has described her as ‘one of the first-generation modern Indian feminists, and an important contributor to world feminism in general, as she was both addressing and challenging not simply the question of gender in isolation but also issues related to caste and casteist patriarchy.’ Savitribai Phule was modern India’s first woman teacher, a promoter of education, a champion of dignity for women and a progressive poet. There are many of us, who are oblivious about the inspirational life and struggle of Savitribai. But if we knew we would surely salute her work, saying ‘Salaam’ (salutations). Interestingly, Savitribai’s death anniversary falls on 10 March which coincides with the birth anniversary of the popular Marathi poet-lyricist Mangesh Padgaokar who passed away on 30 December last year. He wrote a long poem ‘Salaam’ that mocks the attitude of saluting the powers-that-be or saluting mediocrity and conformity. It is said so well that ‘if you do not stand up for something… you will fall for anything!’. The quote can be tweaked to say, ‘If you do not salute the worthy, you will be worshipping the unworthy.’ It is important to identify, understand and align with the right inspiration and emulate the right example. Otherwise we will be saluting the wrong ones and getting the wrong influence! Say Salaam to the progressive… Lest we salute the regressive! - Pravin K. Sabnis Goa based facilitator-trainer; Pravin Sabnis has been writing MONDAY MUSE since the first Monday of 2004.
[Goanet] Momentum – MondayMuse (22 Feb. 16)
Momentum – MondayMuse (22 Feb. 16) MONDAY MUSE (22 February 2016) MOMENTUM *‘Hesitation is bad, momentum is good’ * *- Mathew Childs, veteran rock climber * *during his TED talk presentation on ‘**9 life lessons from rock climbing’. * *Mathew Childs was speaking in context of ‘friction climbing’ where the rock surface does not have any sort of hard positive edges. Hence in friction climbing, you are climbing on little dimples and nubbins in the rock. The most friction you have is when you first put your hand or your foot on the rock. And then from that point on, you're basically falling. So momentum is good. To stop, to hesitate is bad**.* Try holding a small weight in your hand with your arm outstretched and parallel to the ground. With every passing moment, the object seems to get heavier and the elbow and shoulder joints begin to hurt increasingly to the point of becoming unbearable. However, if you were to keep moving the object between your two hands and keep moving continuously, the task remains easy. Consider our own predicament. When we maintain momentum we move easy. But if we pause too long, we get weighed down. Hence, we need to keep moving. Not just during a task, but keep moving across tasks… doing different tasks! Too much of hesitation pulls you back but maintaining momentum will ensure that you never feel the heaviness that comes from hesitation. *Don’t you stay where you earlier stood…* *Keeping up the momentum is truly good!* *- Pravin K. Sabnis* 91-8698672080; unlearning.unlimi...@gmail.com Goa based facilitator-trainer; Pravin Sabnis has been writing MONDAY MUSE since the first Monday of 2004.
[Goanet] Raman effect - MondayMuse(28feb2011)
MONDAY MUSE (28 February 2011) RAMAN EFFECT India celebrates February 28, as Science Day. On this day in 1928, C.V. Raman, through his experiments on the scattering of light, discovered what is termed as the Raman Effect. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930 for his work essentially inspired by his observation of the deep blue of Mediterranean Sea from the deck of his ship. Before Raman put forward his theory it was believed that the sea was blue because it reflected the blue of the sky. Raman observed that the Mediterranean appeared blue even when the sky was dull gray. After far-reaching research, he found that the color of the sea changes because of a phenomenon called inelastic scattering of light. It is pertinent to note that his path breaking finding happened in his humble laboratory in India with no sophisticated instruments or technology that was available to the western scientist of his times. In fact he did not have the money to buy a light source, so conducted his experiments using sunlight. Raman said “The essence of science is independent thinking and hard work, not equipment” The Raman Effect journey started with an observation that generated questioning and unleashed a thinking process backed by testing work. Our attitude of thought is our vital resource. The aids of technology and support of equipment is secondary. Hence we must emulate Raman and be better at unconstrained thinking and dedicated pursuit of the logical actions that arise from that thinking. May we BE BETTER at unfettered thinking... To find the solutions which lie scattering! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Hear Out - MondayMuse(21feb2011)
MONDAY MUSE (21 February 2011) HEAR OUT On Saturday, Video Volunteers organised a viewing of the weekend community news show, on NewsX channel ‘Speak Out India’. It includes inputs from ‘India Unheard’ - an initiative (by filmmaker Stalin K Padma Jessica Maybeery) to empower voices that get eclipsed in the mainstream media. One input by community correspondent, Devidas Gaokar showed farmer Rama Velip speak out whilst standing in the mess created by mining in his field. Hopefully, the video will be viewed across Goa. Hopefully it will facilitate a better grasp of an irreversible destruction of Goa’s fields, forests and water bodies. Hopefully it will provoke a proactive resistance to the ones who commit the crippling crime as well as those who aid them by supportive acts of omission and commission or by plain indifference. The word ‘hopefully’ gets into every statement as Rama, Devidas, Seby and others have been speaking out for so many years, but in vain. They have been backing what they say with evidence, yet they are voices unheard. And if and when they are heard, they go unheeded. And if and when they are heeded, they are bypassed by flawed logic of greed masquerading as need! So many voices go unheard due to our insensitivity, if not complicity. Surely our world would be better if for every person that needs to speak out, there is someone who will hear out, sincerely. This sincerity is to be measured not just by the attention we pay to one speaking out but the aligned actions that we undertake. We need to own up to the reality that we are either part of the solution or part of the problem... even the ones that are unheard, because the onus is on us to hear out! May we BE BETTER at heeding the unheard situation... By first hearing out and then responding with apt action! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Love? – MondayMuse(14feb2011)
MONDAY MUSE (14 February 2011) LOVE? Since last evening, many of us received messages by SMS, email and on networking sites that ‘on 14/02/1931, the legendary Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged to their deaths, but Indians forget them and celebrate Valentine Day!’ I replied to the messages I received with the poser: ‘so what happened on 23 March 1931?’ Obviously, when desperate to prove our love for our country, we forget to even examine fiction that flaunts as fact. In their haste to be hypocritical pious about their patriotism and an excessive self righteous condemnation of Valentine Day, my friends forgot to examine the integrity and intensity of their own feelings for the three martyrs! We must take a reality check about the sincerity of our own stated emotion. Genuine love need not pose as superficial pride. Of course, nor does it have to be superficially flaunted on days which have been only marketed for commercial reasons. But this cannot be justification to look down upon people who celebrate certain days, especially if we ourselves are standing on sanctimoniously shaky ground. How can we claim love for our motherland, if we are indifferent to the land grab that decimates lives and livelihoods? How can we profess our love for Nature, if our actions are actually harmful for the environment? How can we celebrate a day in the name of love, if our actions reflect intolerance and hatred for some human beings? Surely, it would be better if we connect to the real Bhagat Singh and the real St. Valentine! Love is neither a competitive nor an occasional emotion... Let’s BE BETTER at connecting with appropriate action! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Compensation – MondayMuse(7feb2011)
MONDAY MUSE (7 February 2011) COMPENSATION Over the weekend, advocates and activists, came to Goa for a HRLN organised National consultation on ‘Litigating against Corporations for Human Rights!’ It was indeed a ‘festival of facts’ of the struggle to reclaim democracy from the grip of unscrupulous corporates patronised by corrupt governance and aided by an often hostile judicial process. Vaishali Patil who leads the fierce resistance to the Nuclear Power Project at Jaitapur, Maharashtra, told how an overwhelming majority of the villagers refused the compensation cheques in lieu of the forceful land acquisition. Their resolve stood up to the aggressive Government that violates human rights to back a hazardous project that spells doom for livelihoods but also endangers lives much beyond the area. Once, a Government Secretary explained his estimate of how compared to the poor returns for the farmers’ back breaking work, they would earn better from the interest accrued from the compensation, without doing any work! An 80 year old woman immediately made a counter compensation offer to the Secretary, of a voluntary retirement package to be raised from contributions from over 2000 humble households! Needless, to say, the Secretary was furiously offended. Compensation changes meaning when it concerns our lives and our rights. In the combined lexicon of Government and Corporation, the word compensation is muddled in language-pollution. And this is more so due to the growing disconnect of us consumerists from the attacks on the lands, lives and livelihoods of the people whose work sustains our lives as well as the world we live in. We crib about growing food prices, yet we are puzzled by the resistance of the farmer against the annexing of his land. We wax eloquent about the environment, yet we believe that development happens when a forest is mined. We complain about traffic jams, yet we buy bigger vehicles for ourselves. We fight for our own rights, yet we insist that others surrender their claims for an unfair and forceful compensation. Indeed, the world will be better only if all of us connect to true empathy by putting ourselves in the shoes of the aggrieved. Too often, we are disconnected from reality. When we know, we understand. When we understand, we must do what we know needs to be done. After all, the stakeholder’s struggle requires both, empathy and ‘real solid’ solidarity! Indeed it is inhuman to barter rights for compensation... Let’s BE BETTER at connecting to empathetic action! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Silence – MondayMuse(31Jan2011)
MONDAY MUSE (31 January 2011) SILENCE ‘Speak through Action’ – Rajan Babu, 2006 National President, JCI India. Last weekend, my close friend and creative trainer, Vividh Pawaskar and yours truly went to Kholapur. We had gone there at the invitation of my friend, Anirudh Borkar who leads the Rotaract District 3170. Ani had persuaded me (as only he can) to conduct an early morning outbound as well as a hall based session at his Conference. On Sunday morning, as breakfast was delayed, we moved to the main Hall. Some eager delegates were getting themselves clicked against the imposing backdrop. Save for one who asked Vividh to click a few photographs, the others moved around in stunning silence. It took us a while to realise that we were in midst of 25 extraordinary persons who had moved beyond the constraints of being deaf and mute. We learnt much in our interactions with them. While delegates with cars were yet to reach the venue, these chaps had walked a sizeable distance so that they could be there before time. They displayed high self esteem and were making the most of the conference experience. Their awesome attitude was seen in their expressive gestures as well as in their actions aligned with discipline, dedication and togetherness. Now we had to be better at effectively connecting to our 25 new friends and others like us. We had to be better at communicating concurrently in words as well as silence. After all, it is only in silence that we become better at empathetic listening and critical observing. After all, it is only in silence that we truly become focussed and effective in our expression. After all, it is said so well that silence is golden! The world of silence is truly empowering to BE BETTER at simple communicating! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Procrastination – Monday-muse 17Jan2011
MONDAY MUSE (17 January 2011) PROCRASTINATION Procrastination is an attitude to put off intentionally and habitually the doing of something that needs to be done. The term ‘procrastination comes from the Latin word ‘procrastinatus’, which itself evolved from the prefix ‘pro’ meaning ‘forward’ and ‘crastinus’ meaning ‘of tomorrow.’ Popularly it implies blameworthy delay due to laziness or apathy. However, this Monday Muse looks at the procrastination habit that seizes non-lazy, proactive people as well. In fact it is positive qualities of well intentioned persons that can result in them finding themselves in a position of procrastination. These qualities include perfectionism, being analytical, saying ‘Yes’ to every task and being ‘busy’. For instance while perfectionism can be a good thing, making every task hang at its altar results in immobility. Similarly, excessive analysis creates paralysis of action. Not being able to say ‘No’ results in overburdening and hence forces the door open for procrastination. And of course, when one is busy with a single task, other tasks go for a toss. Procrastination is a result of mixed up priorities and excessive tactics. We must look at the larger picture and identify important and urgent tasks. If the task can be delegated, do it! We must be better at sifting and prioritising all our commitments, our responsibilities as well as things we really enjoy doing… lest procrastination pulls down the proactive person in us as well! To BE BETTER at overcoming the pulls of procrastination Let’s prioritise responsibilities commit to timely action! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Monday-muse: CHANGE 10Jan’11
MONDAY MUSE (10 January 2011) CHANGE ‘Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’ – Albert Einstein Einstein’s famous quote is so very true that if we keep on doing the same things, taking the same actions and thinking the same thoughts, guess what we are going to get? The same results that we been getting! Wherever we are right now in our life is the direct result of the actions and thoughts that we have been taking. When we look around, what do we see? If we like what we see; if we see an organized, clean space; if feel strong and confident; then we been taking positive actions and thinking positive, strong thoughts. If on the other hand we are unhappy with the way we have shaped up or we feel low about the situation that surrounds us, then obviously we have to introspect on our approach and change our actions. We must take responsibility and own the fact that the results we see are because of the choices we made. We must not pose as a victim of outside circumstances. To be better at changing the results, we must choose to be in control of every desirable change in thinking, habits and actions. Let’s BE BETTER at making every necessary change In thoughts and actions to enhance the result range! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Resolution – MondayMuse(3Jan2011)
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- NEW BOOK: 'PATRIOTISM IN ACTION: Goans in Indias Defence Services' With Foreword by Gen SF Rodrigues, PVSM, VSM, ADC (retd) former Chief of Indian Army Staff and Governor, Punjab Administrator, Chandigarh UT For copies of this book see footer of this message --- MONDAY MUSE (3 January 2011) RESOLUTION ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ - Mahatma Gandhi On the threshold of New Year, at our family gets together, the children arranged the activities. One activity was for everyone to pen down, at the stroke of midnight, personal statements on two charts. One was a Wish-List; the other was a list of Resolutions. A few seniors questioned the distinction between the two, but the children had got it right! One may wish to be healthier and fitter, but it would be better to resolve to make the lifestyle changes necessary for the transformation. One may wish for peace, harmony, friendships, relationships, success, worthy causes... but it would be better to resolve to create and participate in processes to make the wish happen. What we wish for and what we resolve to do are as different as just craving for a desired destination and creating a road map to get there. A wish is just a thought, a dream. A resolve is a commitment, a mission to actualise the dream. A wish is an imagination. A resolve has to be real. A resolve is about making the necessary choices and backing them with earnest resoluteness. Hence, while we put together wish lists for ourselves, our families and our communities, let’s be better at moving beyond desire. Let’s resolve to make the wish happen by our commitment, determination and persistence. May our wishes be well meaning and backed by the resolve to be the change that we want to see in our world! Let’s BE BETTER at making resolutions for action Wishes fly only with wings of steadfast dedication! - Pravin K. Sabnis Goa, India. --- NEW BOOK: 'PATRIOTISM IN ACTION: Goans in Indias Defence Services' Copies now available at: GOA: Literati (2277740), Other India (2263306), Broadway (6647038), Mandovi (2427904), Noel DSilva Associates (9823120454 / 9096781714), Confidant / Golden Heart Emp (2732450), David Co (2730326), Vardaan (9527463684) SERV / RETD Def Offrs in Goa: O/o Sainik Co-op Hse Bldg Sty, Def Col, Porvorim (2417288) MUMBAI: David Co (22019010) PUNE: Manneys (26131683), Popular (25678327) BENGALURU: Narayan (22865800) DELHI: Ritana (24617278) ONLINE (worldwide delivery): http://www.ritanabooks.com, http://goa1556.goa-india.org ---
[Goanet] Write-Habit – monday muse (27dec ’10)
Goanetters annual year-end meet is on Dec 27, 2010 (Monday) from 4-6 pm at Institute Piedade (near Hotel Mandovi, opp Bread More) in Panjim. Do come along. RSVP via SMS 9822122436, f...@goa-india.org or 2409490 (after 2 pm). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MONDAY MUSE (27 December 2010) WRITE-HABIT It was on the first Monday of 2004, that yours truly started what is now called the Monday Muse. I was fascinated with the theme – touch to transform – of the then National President of JCI India, Rajesh Chandak. When I shared with him a couple of musings on the theme, he insisted that I mail him one such musing on every Monday. I did so until April 2005, when I succumbed to the pressure of having to write every Monday. Six Mondays I broke my write-habit, only to realise that my writing was being seriously followed by a few persons whom I held in great esteem. They included my leaders, mentors and trainers in JCI. It was the persuasive motivation by the people who mattered most to me, that Monday Muse continued with a consistency, save for an odd Monday when I would be away in the wild, disconnected from internet connectivity. Today at the end of the seventh year of this write-habit, I choose to hold a rear-view mirror to look at the learning of the journey. To everyone who wants to write, the way is simple… simply write, without worrying too much about how it will be received. Be open to criticism and make the changes where you agree. Acknowledge sources and never pinch another’s work and pass it off as your own. But the most important principle is to write as a habit. It is only when one writes consistently, two things happen… firstly, one grows with every creative venture and secondly a unique style of writing emerges. So many poets, writers and others never connect to their fullest potential, only because they do not engage in it as an effective habit. It is good to start something, but to be better we must transform it as a habit. Keep at the habit and sure we will BE BETTER Monday Muse shows how, seven years later! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Basics – monday muse (20dec’1 0)
MONDAY MUSE (20 December 2010) BASICS During my school days, I read the story of a King who went on an extensive trip across his kingdom! When he returned back to the luxuries of his palace, he complained that his feet were aching. It was the first time that he had been on such a long trip, and the road that he walked on was uneven and rocky. Yet, as he had enjoyed the travel, he told his courtiers of his wish to travel again. Immediately the learned court consultant suggested that every road in the kingdom be covered with leather. All the courtiers complimented and applauded the plan. However, the king noticed his court jester smirking. Upon being ordered to speak his mind, the jester said, ‘just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet… spend the money instead on making shoes for everybody who travels on the rough roads!’ It is pertinent to note that situations are better transformed not by attempts to change circumstances superficially, but by empowering persons to tackle those circumstances. The larger lesson is that for planning to be better, it must focus on the traveller rather than the road, on the driver rather than the vehicle, on the farmer rather than the food industry, on existent sustainability rather than vague magnificence. The story also underlines a valuable lesson of life… of starting with basics. It is all about transforming our own efforts and actions to achieve the desired results. Let us remember that instead of investing too much hope and effort in altering the larger predicament, let’s be better at making basic transformations. The feet come first, the road comes later... at starting with basics, we must BE BETTER! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Full-on – monday muse (13dec’ 10)
MONDAY MUSE (13 December 2010) FULL-ON Goa Sudharop (a team of Goan Diaspora) along with Fr Agnel College, Pilar organised a 3-day workshop for college students on the theme of ‘Goan Volunteer Spirit’. The resource persons were volunteers working towards positive transformations in different ways. Many a Monday Muse has been inspired by the attitude and approach of these sincere volunteers. Today, we learn from one more of them – Swati Kerkar! Swati was inspired as a school student by the successful struggle by her villagers against the Nylon66 plant. Many years later she and a handful of youth replicated the campaign against the land grab on the same plateau by a SEZ. They grew to a core team of 80 villagers who built the awareness and solidarity in and beyond the village of Keri. Swati kept reiterating that their resolve was never reliant on the chances of victory but rather their grit was founded on an unconditional commitment to the cause. Swati and her tribe, persisted in their resistance to stop destructive work at the SEZ site as well as successfully petition the High Court which passed severe strictures against the process and ordered the scrapping of SEZs. Actually, Swati was insisting that any mission should never be motivated by the probability of success; rather we must always move full-on! The modern term ‘full-on’ refers to holding nothing back. Just look at the way one plays any sport. Real sportsmanship is about playing full-on. It is the same for other passions. Whatever we initiate will be better off, only if we give it our all… if we go all the way, full-on! May win-prospects never shape zeal, when we take on… we will always BE BETTER off when we operate full-on! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Map – monday muse (6dec’10)
MONDAY MUSE (6 December 2010) MAP Zen philosophy insists that truth has nothing to do with words. It likens Truth and words to a moon and a finger, respectively. Buddha says that though the finger can point to the moon’s location, it is necessary to look beyond the finger to see the moon. Being obsessed with the pointer is pointless. More often than not we tend to spend too much time in analysis of the pointer. If we are discussing whether things are better or worse, we generally get stuck in the validity of concepts and models. Surely it would be better to step out and experience something directly. It is pertinent to note that the map is never the territory. It is just a pointer based on a belief, a perception, an image or a thought process. If the map is right, we may reach our location. But if it is incorrect, we have to discard the map. Most of the time, our map keeps changing depending on the position we are in and our desired destination. It is okay to have a map, only as long as we know it is a map. It is more important to connect to real territory. Too often, we allow the map to become an addictive restriction. Whether it is our own ego, life purposes or larger community concerns, we would be better off if we move beyond the map and embark on the journey of real experience sans the map. Let’s step out for the real experience to tap… and BE BETTER at moving beyond the map! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Barren? – monday muse (29nov’ 10)
MONDAY MUSE (29 November 2010) BARREN? Recently, a researcher was surveying responses to proposed amendments to the draconian Land Acquisition Act. In the village of Keri in Goa, Ramkrishna Jhalmi was asked whether he felt it was okay for the Government to acquire barren land. His response was worthy of a bond with land that only a tribal so passionately possesses. Ramkrishna pointed out to his head and asked, ‘if I lose all the hair on my head, does my head become barren? Should then my head be knocked off?’ He questioned the urban perception of barren land. After all as a young student, he saw his village resisting the imposition of a polluting plant on the top of hill plateau of Keri. Their struggle was triumphant at the cost of the life of Nilesh Naik, killed in police firing. A decade later, Ramkrishna and his village struggles to save the plateau from the rapist controls of a SEZ (special Economic zone) which is just another glorified land grab for real estate. For them, the plateau was far from barren. Besides being grazing land and having spiritual significance, the plateau was the rain water receptacle that charged the various springs, wells and water bodies. An assault on the plateau would translate into irrevocable destruction of the surrounding seven villages and the splendid spice farms therein. So often, the urban educated see things superficially, wearing glasses of greed in the garb of need. What gets ignored is the underlying reality and the ramification of actions arising about prejudices about what gets labelled as barren land. To be better at connecting with the reality where no land is really barren, let’s remember Ramkrishna’s poser: will you knock off your head if gets barren of hair? No land is really barren, if we look deeper… let’s BE BETTER at seeing the larger picture - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Practice – monday muse (15nov ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (15 November 2010) PRACTICE During our school days, we would be all charged up every time we see a martial art movie. We would walk on our toes, run up the stairs with buckets filled with water and eventually join some martial art class. However, save a few, most would drop out of what seemed only an occasional infatuation. The interest was genuine but the commitment was like a sparkling, fizzy soda. Motives play a significant role in inspiring action. However, the effect of motivation is effervescent. So often, we enthusiastically embark on journeys to do things we find exciting and attractive. And so often, the initial exuberance seems to drop down the way. Making a start can be rendered futile, if we do not go the whole distance. And going the distance merits going beyond motives and developing the practice. Practice is the term commonly used to describe appropriate actions of a consistent nature. We need to develop the right practices to move towards desired destination. Jim Rohn said it so well, ‘Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going’. However, a practice is not just a habit that develops by itself. It is a conscious process of walking the talk. A practice requires a greater commitment along with a plan that includes discipline, dedication and determination. Whenever inspired, we must be able to make a plan of investing our time, thoughts and action. Otherwise motivation will be just an occasional emotion. So whether it is learning a new skill or making a fresh pledge we need to be better at empowering effective practices. Let’s BE BETTER at keeping on going… our practices need solemn empowering! - Pravin K. Sabnis _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ tambdimati: the Goa review is a community blog of original _/ art, writing, music, news and commentary from and about the _/ smallest state in the subcontinent. check out the newest _/ member of the Goanet family daily at _/ http://www.tambdimati.com. _/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
[Goanet] Deep Wide – monday muse (8nov ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (8 November 2010) DEEP WIDE Look around at people you find interesting to converse with... They could be friends, doctors, pharmacists, barbers, shopkeepers or the like. What is the secret of being a successful conversationalist? They can talk politics with a politician, finance with a banker, sports with a sportsman, education with an educationist and so on and so forth. Where does a good conversationalist learn to speak at almost everything under the sun? Besides reading, the good conversationalists possess the tolerance for listening and learning from every person they meet. However, it is pertinent to note that we would not be so eager to visit the conversationalist if he was bad at his basic job. Never mind the additional attraction that your conversation skills offer, the other person will patronize you only if you are good at the basic job that you are expected to do. Learning is generally ignored after attaining desired academic levels, mainly when entrenched in the comfort zone of a secure job. However, it is a folly to stop learning. Consider the traditional barber. He is a good listener and an engaging conversationalist. However, he also is constantly keeping apace with the latest trends, styles and news. Let’s choose to BE BETTER like the barber who goes after both depth and breadth of knowledge and skills… depth to be better at his basic expertise… and breadth to be better at conversation with his customers… Let’s choose to BE BETTER like the barber By going deep and wide as a proactive learner! - Pravin K. Sabnis _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ tambdimati: the Goa review is a community blog of original _/ art, writing, music, news and commentary from and about the _/ smallest state in the subcontinent. check out the newest _/ member of the Goanet family daily at _/ http://www.tambdimati.com. _/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
[Goanet] Mentor – monday muse (1nov’10 )
MONDAY MUSE (1 November 2010) MENTOR In Greek mythology, Odysseus entrusted his fiend Mentor with the full care and education of his son, Telemachus. Because of Mentor's near-paternal relationship with Telemachus, the term Mentor has been adopted as a term meaning a parent-like teacher. Mentors provide expertise to less experienced individuals to help them advance their careers, enhance their education, and build their networks. Many teams organise mentoring programs in which newcomers are paired with more experienced people, who act as friends and guides. In fact a major contribution that any person can make to his team and organisation is being a mentor to others. The qualities of an effective mentor include risk taking, trustworthiness, a depth of knowledge and above all being emotionally strong. They engage in showing concern for the development of team members, giving good counsel when required and motivating the necessary struggle of their protégé towards progress. While we see glowing examples of successful team persons who have grown through mentoring, it is also pertinent to note that too few, among us, are ready to devote time and initiative to the task of mentoring. The reasons range from an inability to share to the lack of patience to cheer from the sidelines. However, if we seek to leave a legacy in our lifetime, we must choose to be better at mentoring. First we must make the choice to give time to share our experience along with care, concern and participation in the protégé’s progress. However, it is important that the mentor is not a back seat driver or just a how-to-do lecturer. But surely, it is a desirable role since the mentor too moves to higher planes as he mentors his mentorees. Don’t just lead or be an occasional tutor, Let’s BE BETTER at being a mentor ! - Pravin K. Sabnis _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ tambdimati: the Goa review is a community blog of original _/ art, writing, music, news and commentary from and about the _/ smallest state in the subcontinent. check out the newest _/ member of the Goanet family daily at _/ http://www.tambdimati.com. _/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
[Goanet] Picture Perfect Life – monday muse ( 18Oct’10)
MONDAY MUSE (18 October 2010) PICTURE PERFECT LIFE We are constantly surrounded by verbal and visual messages that shriek and screech out that our life will be truly perfect if only... we had a better complexion, a better figure and physique, a better house, a better coat of paint on the walls, a better vehicle, a better bank... so and so forth. So many of us fall for the advert bait and barter away the outlook of contentment for the quest of a picture perfect life. By swaying to the tune of ‘my life would be picture perfect only if...’ our focus on ‘my life’ becomes hazy and the spotlight remains stuck on an elusive picture perfect lifestyle! The essential difference between the two is the real reason for an extended season of discontent. We stray away from taking ownership of our life and play the game of chasing an illusory and imagined happiness. When we succumb to the ‘my life would be picture perfect only if...’ trap, we lose touch with the reality of the present. And as we lose touch with the present, we disconnect from the attitude of gratitude. Surely, it is difficult to be grateful for what we do not possess. Hence it is necessary to practise being in the present and be grateful for what we have. Eventually perfect lives are ones where self esteem is positive. And for our self esteem to be fortified, we must be better at practising basic contentment. And basic contentment happens when we take ownership for what we are and what we have. After all, more important than the size, shape and style of the cake, what matters is the way we relish it! The picture perfect life is an illusion, dude... Let’s BE BETTER at the attitude of gratitude - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Jai Prakash – monday muse (11Oct ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (11 October 2010) JAI PRAKASH The slogan ‘andhere main ek prakash... Jai Prakash’ (a light beams in the dark... Jai Prakash) echoed in the 1970s. The dark times referred to the authoritarian rule of then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi; which eventually led in the infamous declaration of a National Emergency. Constitutional and democratic rights were trampled upon and a dissenting media and protesting citizens were under severe attack. It was in these dark times that Jai Prakash Narayan, popularly called JP, stood up as an inspirational loknayak (people’s leader). JP was born on 11 October, 1902. A bright student, he joined the freedom struggle. Equally influenced by Gandhi and Marx, he eventually moved towards the Gandhian principles of non-violence. In 1954, JP dedicated his life to Vinoba Bhave’s Bhoodan (donating land to the Dalits) campaign. He gave up his land, set up an Ashram in Hazaribagh and worked towards uplifting his village. He gave up Rahneeti (polity of the state) to embrace Lokneeti (polity of the people). JP believed that Lokneeti should be non-partisan to build a consensus based, classless, participatory democracy. He became an important cog in the countrywide network of Gandhian Savodaya workers. In 1974, he led the student’s movement in Bihar and transformed it into a larger people’s movement with a call for Sampoorna Kranti (Total Revolution). He became the pivot for the protest and overthrow of the draconian Emergency. While others crawled when asked to bend, or played indifferent, JP chose to take on the darkness by standing up to it! His life is lesson to stand up to the larger challenges. He moved from the active politics to community work to a people’s movement. It is not enough to do community service. It will be better if we measure up to the greater challenges that constitute the larger picture for humankind… like JP did! Let’s BE BETTER at taking on the dark doom... Like JP, let’s stand up to chase away the gloom ! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Indigenous – monday muse (27Sept ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (27 September 2010) INDIGENOUS The Goan Diaspora initiative, Goa Sudharop conducts workshops for college students. This year, the series connects youth with the theme of Spirit of Goan Volunteerism. Sociologist, Dr. Bernadette Gomes in a session, screened her documentary on the secluded Gouly community of Goa. The scenes of the habitats, the clothes, the lifestyles of the Gouly community seemed an unreal revelation for most. Soter D’souza started the next session by asking the students to share their impressions about what they had just seen. The reactions ranged from terming the Goulys backward and being caught in a time wrap to comments pitying their discrimination and the fact that they were denied development and modern amenities and facilities. Soter challenged the comments by questioning whether the indigenous community deserved patronising pity. After all, they lead sustainable lives in harmony with Nature. They walk the eco-friendly path while the urbanised citizens only talk about undoing the damage which is a result of irresponsible modern practices and tactics. The word ‘indigenous’ refers to that what comes from the origin. The indigenous people are the tribes who are the original settlers of their lands. They continue with their original lifestyles and sustainable approaches. They indigenously resist the constant attack on their land, lives and livelihoods by the modern excuse of so-called development. All of us need to be better as responsible citizens of this world by learning the attitudes and approaches of the indigenous communities who nurture sustainable lifestyles in harmony with our Mother Earth. Otherwise we would be deserving of contemptuous pity for our direct or indirect ecological sins that arise when we forget our origins! Let’s BE BETTER at keeping away from eco-sins… stick like the indigenous people, to our origins! - Pravin
[Goanet] Follow the Flow – monday muse (20Se pt’10)
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- Goanet joins Noel Rebello to raise money for Daddy's Home (Margao, Goa) Sponsor Noel as he climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,882m or 19,298 ft) Make a donation at www.Goanet.org, click on MAKE A DONATION, state Daddy's Home in the Donation comments For more information see: http://bit.ly/SupportDaddysHome --- MONDAY MUSE (20 September 2010) FOLLOW THE FLOW A traveller lost his way while moving across a mountain. He came across a meditating monk. The traveller asked for directions to get out of his predicament. The wise monk calmly counselled him, ‘Just follow the flow’. This advice underlines a philosophy with many interpretations. A simplistic reading suggests swimming with the tide. People guided by such a construal, generally accept things as they are. They do not believe in challenging or confronting a contrary situation. They follow the ‘conditions’ and choose not to sweat about any struggle to change the conditions. However, the maxim is understood differently by trekkers. For us, it is a guideline to either get to the source of the flowing water or to its mouth. Depending on their choice of destination, we follow the flow to get either to the origin or to the other end of a larger water body that invariably nurtures a settlement. Instead of getting rooted to the spot, people who follow the flow are the ones who make a move. Surely, we can be better at managing the challenges if we follow the flow by stepping out of a riveted state. Either we can get to the bottom of things or take things to their logical end. We can learn from a paper boat that flows with the flow. It swerves around obstructing rocks and moves on even when overturned by the flow it follows. Let’s BE BETTER at getting out of the groove Follow the flow and make the choice to move! - Pravin
[Goanet] TEACHER – monday muse (6Sept ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (06 September 2010) TEACHER ‘Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel’- Socrates Our personalities are moulded by the valuable lessons that we learn from our many teachers. They include our parents, formal teachers at school, skill teachers who teach us music, sports, as well as peers and even our own students. But the roles of parenting, teaching and mentoring generally come into two types. It is pertinent to note that many see the role has one that moulds the personality, akin to a potter shaping a lump of clay. However, each child has infinite potential and is a future tree waiting to grow and bloom. Hence effective teachers are the ones who choose to be gardeners to the seed of potential that lies in the learner. There is an old Chinese saying that underlines the implications of wrong approaches to teaching: ‘give a seed to a potter and you shall have a bonsai’. While the potter breathes life into dead clay, the gardener has to take care about not stifling the very life of the learner. The gardener’s approach can really shape a personality and script a destiny. And a potter’s path can result in tragedy or cause a mutiny. However, the role of a gardener is not as easy as it looks. It requires us to be better at tolerance, facilitation, allowing space and empowering the learner’s right to make a choice. William Arthur Ward said it so well: that ‘a mediocre teacher tells, a good teacher explains, a superior teacher demonstrates and a great teacher inspires!’ Let’s BE BETTER at the noble task of teaching The learner-seed is nurtured with gardening! - Pravin K. Sabnis PRAVIN SABNIS conducts UNLEARNING UNLIMITED outbound workshops across India for corporate and other teams. MONDAY MUSE is based on JCI-India’s National President’s theme: Touch To Transform (2004), We Are The Future (2005), Speak Through Action (2006), Develop New Dimensions (2007) the JCI theme – BE BETTER (2008 onwards).
[Goanet] Taking Initiative! – monday muse (2 9Aug’10)
MONDAY MUSE (29 August 2010) TAKING INITIATIVE! Training sessions are enhanced by the use of appropriate videos. One of personal favourites - a video created in 2007 as part of the Lead India Campaign launched by the Times of India Group – is an excellent example of ‘taking initiative’. It can be easily viewed on the internet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFs5vWxW-vc The early morning traffic is blocked by a fallen tree. On either side, people await a solution to the problem. But a young child drops his school bag and ventures to push aside the big tree. The onlookers, one by one start joining him and together they are able to shift the obstacle. Obviously they were inspired by the initiative of the proactive child. Surely, the child did not have a false estimation of his own strengths and abilities. Yet he initiated action since it was needed. Taking initiative is not about measuring up to achievable tasks. Taking initiative is about taking up a worthwhile mission. It is about stepping out of our comfort zone and taking up the responsibility to set right a situation. Proactive persons do not wait for others to join their action… they show the way by taking initiative and thus inspire others to join along. However, it is not enough to start off. A famous Buddha quote identifies two mistakes while walking the road (to truth)… one is not starting and the second is not going all the way. So many good initiatives are reduced to nought because people give up before the initiative is actualised. We must choose to be better at sustaining a continuous commitment to the initiative we take on or the one we join in. And we must overcome our own negative thoughts and doubts. Let’s BE BETTER at taking initiative By overcoming every looming negative! - Pravin K. Sabnis * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Goa-launch of the well-received *Into The Diaspora Wilderness* by Selma Carvalho on Aug 29, 2010 (Sunday) at 11 am at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao. Meet the author, buy a signed copy (only Rs 295 in Goa till stock lasts). http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/
[Goanet] Light, please! – monday muse (23A ug’10)
MONDAY MUSE (23 August 2010) Light, please! Once, Alexander the Great went in person to see the Greek theorist, Diogenes and found him lying in the sun. When the monarch offered to fulfil his stated wish, Diogenes promptly requested, ‘please stand out of my light!’ The above anecdote raises pertinent points for mentoring as well as leadership. Too often we suffocate and stifle the very people we want to help out by dominating their space with our overbearing presence and shadowing their own inspired guiding light. So often, even mothers smother their children! All this seems so strange, as all of us, as young children, have resented the same domineering by parents, teachers and elders. Yet we repeat the same story of shadowy surveillance, interfering interruptions and back seat driving with the same people who we wish would do something on their own! However there is nothing wrong in standing besides as long as don’t eclipse their light! To be better at helping and supporting anyone, we must be able to give them the space to take ownership of their dreams, their plans and actions as seen in their own guiding light. In fact, after the incident with Diogenes, Alexander reportedly told his men who were jesting about the philosopher, ‘if I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes!’ Let’s BE BETTER at helping others grow By standing out of their light’s glow! - Pravin K. Sabnis * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ISSUES BEING DEBATED: In East Africa, despite colonialism, the British afforded the Goan a sliver of a socio-political voice. Read *Into The Diaspora Wilderness* by Selma Carvalho. Soon to be available in Toronto. Pp 290. Via mail-order from goa1...@gmail.com http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/
[Goanet] August, 16th – monday muse (16Aug ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (16 August 2010) AUGUST, 16th! In India, the Independence Day is celebrated on 15 August by wearing patriotism on our sleeves. Our clothes, our facebook status, our group SMS and everything possible, proudly declares our pride in being an Indian. Almost all such publicly stated sentiments of patriotic pride are genuine and sincere. However, it is pertinent to notice the same sentiment in the same people on the subsequent day – 16 August! Some years back, on the day after Independence Day, ace lensman Rajtilak Naik captured a plastic tricolour flag lying amidst similarly discarded garbage irresponsibly thrown along the sides of a road. Surely, on Independence Day that same flag must have been held firmly by a patriotically charged person. The best of words and the grandest of posturing mean nothing. Plastic patriotism is nothing but a superficial mask that is worn on convenient occasions. In fact, posturing through only superficial symbols pushes us away from the earnestness of our real sentiments. Real patriotism is not about feeling proud, rather it is about doing our country proud through responsible and responsive deeds. What we do or say on Independence Day is an occasional emotion. What we do or say on 16 August, and the other days, is of greater importance. If we want to be better at real patriotism, let’s be better at saying and doing whatever it takes for everyone to equally reap the benefits of real freedom, dignity and opportunity! Plastic patriotism is nothing, but just an occasional emotion… Let’s BE BETTER at backing intention with consistent action! - Pravin
[Goanet] Hobson’s choice – monday muse (9Aug’10)
MONDAY MUSE (9 August 2010) HOBSON’S CHOICE ‘Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants, so long as it is black.’ - Choice offered on the Ford Model T. In the late 16th century, Thomas Hobson rented out horses to university students at Cambridge. The students picked up their favourite steeds, and hence a few of Hobson's horses were overworked. To remedy the situation, Hobson began a rotation system, giving the customer the choice of taking the mount nearest the stable door or none at all. This rule became known as ‘Hobson's choice’. Although, the term is used to mean ‘no choice at all’, Hobson’s choice is not an illusion of choice. Also, it is not the same as Morton’s fork which is a choice between two unfavourable options. It is a free choice in which only one option is offered. A person may refuse to take that option. The choice is therefore between taking the option or not. It is about aligning with either of the two alternatives: take it or leave it! So often, we find ourselves in a bind over a situation of Hobson’s choice. We feel cornered as we think we have no choice. However, it is pertinent to note that every road offers the option to walk or not. If we consider the option of opting out, we are liberated from the situation of single choice. Many people have made a successful paradigm shift in their lives and careers because the chose to be better at understanding the second option in Hobson’s choice. Let’s BE BETTER at a choice that seems only one Hobson’s choice is about take that or none! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] The other side – monday muse (2Aug ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (2 August 2010) THE OTHER SIDE Once, a wanderer came to the banks of a wide river. He wondered on ways to cross the broad barrier, but in vain. Just as he was about to turn back, he saw a Zen master on the other side of the river. He shouted out, ‘Sir, please tell me how to get to the other side of this river’? The monk promptly yelled back, ‘Young man, you are on the other side’. Like all Zen stories, this tale too holds multiple lessons. However, let’s consider it for the aspect of interpersonal skills. The two banks of the river represent two individual personalities that lie aligned parallel to each other. The river represents the space between the relationships. While we seek to travel the journey to the other side, it would be better to understand that our side too is the other side with regards to the person across. So getting to the other side necessarily includes connect with initiative on the side that one stands on. The same concept is articulated with great simplicity in the quote, ‘if it is to be, it is up to me!’ More often than not, our closest friends are the ones where we take the initiative for maintaining and empowering the relationship. The onus of friendship cannot be on the other person. The responsibility lies with me to be better at doing everything necessary for my friend to see a friend on the other side… which is where I stand! to BE BETTER at connecting to the other side let’s do the needful, on the side that I reside! - Pravin * * * In every way, the Goans of Bombay were part of the great melee that was this metropolis, distinct perhaps in the way communities often are, holding on to their own traditions but merging slowly nonetheless and forming the thin thread of nationhood that would eventually become India. -- Selma Carvalho, in *Into the Goan Diaspora Wilderness*. Available at Broadways Book Centre, Panjim [Ph +91-9822488564] Price (in Goa only) Rs 295. http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ * * *
[Goanet] Wealth: monday-muse: 26 july’10
MONDAY MUSE (26 July 2010) WEALTH Na biwi na baccha, naa baap bada na bhaiya... The whole thing is that sabse bada rupaiya! (not wife, not child, not father, not brother... The whole thing is that the most important is money) -Old Hindi song by actor-filmmaker, Mehmood Wealth makes people go around in a never ending pursuit. It is the driving force for everyone, and a principal priority for the ambitious. At the inaugural of ABLE - JCI India’s training program for businesspersons, the Chief Guest, K Vallabhdas shared his father’s take on five types of wealth. He listed the first type of wealth as personal health. The second is the wealth of relationship that comes from the unquestioning love from the spouse. The third is the unconditional nurturing that we receive from our parents. The fourth is the uplifting affection that is reciprocated by our children. And the last and the least in the list is the wealth of money. All of us run too often behind money at the cost of the four greater forms of wealth. But money will come to nought if the first four are lost. Interestingly, the four concerns cover a wider spectrum of a better world for all of us. For we cannot makes our homes better for our family, elders and the children better without ensuring an environment of health and security, a world driven by responsive and responsible actions. Let’s BE BETTER at acquiring the wealth that comes from loving family and health ! - Pravin K. Sabnis * * * IS YOURS one of the stories of Goans on board the S.S. Dwarka, or at the Strait of Hormuz, Basra or Bahrain, Dubai, Swindon, Mombasa, Poona or Rangoon? Selma Carvalho's new book *Into the Diaspora Wilderness* docks at many other ports. Get your copy from Broadways, Panjim [9822488564] Rs 295. Pp extra. http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/
[Goanet] Personal Anthem – monday muse (19Jul y’10)
MONDAY MUSE (19 July 2010) PERSONAL ANTHEM 150 years after his birth, Rabindranath Tagore’s legacy as a poet, novelist, musician, and playwright continues to inspire… as does his poem - ‘where the mind is without fear and the head is held high’. While the entire poem is inspirational, the first line articulates the apt vision for a nation and its citizens. In the film Sholay, Gabbar Singh said the immortal lines, ‘jo dar gaya, samjho mar gaya’ (fear is death). Our fears are part of the conditioning that we are subjected to since our childhood. Gandhi described fears as creative imagination. They grow to a magnitude that blurs our sense of perception. We must overcome these fears to be unfettered in our flight to newer horizons! So often we indulge in plastic pride. While arrogance is self-defeating, true self-respect and self-esteem are the psychological foundations for the progress of every personality. They empower individual initiative and help fulfill dreams. ‘Head held high’ also refers to looking ahead to the vision that beckons. We sing the national anthem that Tagore wrote. However we may have been a better citizenry and a better nation if we were to regularly recite and enthusiastically embrace the words of ‘where the mind is without fear’. Surely, it is an empowering anthem and it would be better if each of us chose it as our guiding lighthouse… as our personal anthem. Overcoming fears and enhancing self esteem, we find is the way to BE BETTER at empowering every mind! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] RISE UP monday-muse-12Jul’10
MONDAY MUSE (12 July 2010) RISE UP Imagine a situation where a person trips and falls to the ground. What should he do? Should he wait for somebody to help him rise on his feet once again? What if there is no help forthcoming? Surely in such a scenario, most of us should choose to rise up on our own. Self initiative is necessary to overcome an overpowering situation. Whenever our spirits are down, we must lift them ourselves. Proactive persons who take prime responsibility for changing the situation or even a downward mood are the ones who refuse to stay low. They opt to rise up on their own using the simple choice of self-help. However, being the first to help oneself is not a practice to be employed only in times of defeat or despair. Even, when we deserve to rejoice over the smallest of success, we must choose to initiate appreciation and celebration. It is a lesson, we must learn from the footballer who scores a goal. He does not wait for his team members to come and applaud him. He immediately breaks into a frenzied run of celebration. Too often, we shift the onus of support as well as appreciation onto others. And when none is forthcoming we sink into a deeper depression. We must learn to be better at taking ownership of all the happenings in our lives, both, the ones that lift our spirits and the ones that sink them as well. That’s the way to rise up, every time! Let’s BE BETTER at initiating the right response ... to rise up above the overbearing helpless pause! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] monday-muse: 21 june 2010
MONDAY MUSE (21 June 2010) MAKING A DIFFERENCE Here’s an inspirational story that I first heard from my favourite teacher, Fr. Gatti... A visitor to a beach noticed that the waves brought along hundreds of starfish. However, when the waves ebbed, they left behind many starfish to die. The man decided to save the starfish. He would pick them one by one and throw them in the water. A passerby observed the starfish saviour with amusement, ‘There are hundreds of starfish. How many can you help? What difference does it make?’ This kind-hearted man immediately responded, ‘It makes a difference to this one.’ And he threw yet another starfish back to the safety of the sea. We need to ask ourselves: what difference are we making? Big or small, does not really matter. Surely, if everyone made a small difference, we would be responsible for a big difference. Importantly, for the one who is impacted positively by our initiative, we will have made the difference. And for ourselves we will have made the difference of moving to being part of the solution rather than being audience to a predicament. Those who initiate efforts, only if results of great magnitude are assured, can never really make a difference. Ayn Rand has said it so well, ‘Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision.’ To make a difference, we must be better at taking initiative, without getting trapped in gauging the scale of impact. In every situation, let’s BE BETTER at making a difference ... by distancing our actions from the success reference! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] True Self – monday muse (21 Jun ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (21 June 2010) TRUE SELF An eager student approached a Zen master with a poser, ‘I don’t know who I am. Please, help me see my true self!’ The master just kept silent. The man began to plead and persist, yet the master gave no response. Finally the man resigned to his frustration and moved to leave. At that moment, the master called out to him by name. ‘Yes!’ the man exclaimed as he spun back around. ‘There it is!’ exclaimed the master. This Zen anecdote reminds me of the number of occasions when I search for my spectacles, only to have somebody else point out that I am wearing them! Obviously, it is yet another funny search to find what already is in my possession. Ditto for our search to discover our true self! However, if we really look, our true self need not be a blind spot. Our true self is obvious to the ones who encounter us often. Others can see the obvious because they see it in our behavioural responses. If we analyse the consistency or the lack of our behaviour in response to varied persons and situations, we will be able to understand the choices we make based on our wants and needs. Others can help us realise what we really are, but it is only we who can choose what we want to be. Hence, rather than spend time, effort and energy on getting to know our true self, let’s be better at becoming the true self we would like to be. It is important to focus on what we would like to be, instead of only determining what we are! Let’s BE BETTER at being true to our self… Rather than a shallow search of our true self! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] WIIFM – monday muse (14 Jun’1 0)
MONDAY MUSE (14 June 2010) WIIFM In most organisations, leadership responsibilities include the important tenet that motivation to achieve goals is proportional to the extent that self-interests are satisfied. This theory is popularly known as ‘What’s in it for me?’ or WIIFM. To put it simply, the WIIFM principle states that self-interest is the greatest motivator. The WIIFM principle is used by many motivators to find out needs, desires or motives of their team members. These needs are determined by asking people what they want directly or indirectly by observing what interests them. Unsatisfied needs can make one experience the drive to pursue goals and satisfy his needs. However, self-interest need not be of selfish nature. It is pertinent to note that helping others can satisfy self-interest. Surely, even being humane results in an experience of need satisfaction. For instance, not everyone participates in community work to satisfy the self-interest of recognition. So many do it because it satisfies their self-interest of making a difference to the situation or maybe just feel good! Persons who involve in positive, proactive work have actually aligned their WIIFM with a broader vision and a larger mission. They are the ones whose self-interest lies in looking at larger interests of society. All of us need to be better at ensuring that our WIIFM is progressive and sensitive to the greater needs of humanity. Let’s BE BETTER at looking beyond where self-interest stood WIIFM should align with needs of the greater common good! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Cup of Caffeine – monday muse (7 Jun ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (7 June 2010) CUP OF CAFFEINE One night, a businessman was working late in his office on a crucial assignment. He was exhausted and was finding it difficult to remain awake. He reached out for the bottle of coffee that his secretary kept in her desk and made himself a hot cup of coffee. He immediately felt refreshed and was able to complete his work. He mused over the magic produced by the cup of coffee in altering his tired mind into alertness. He was convinced that the crucial ingredient in the coffee that made the conversion possible – caffeine – was indeed a remarkable substance. He decided that he should thank his secretary for her thoughtfulness in keeping that coffee bottle in the office. The next day, he presented a box of sweets to his secretary, profusely thanked her and waxed eloquent about the wonders of caffeine that was in the coffee that was in the bottle in her desk… Hearing this, his secretary began laughing and showed him the label of the coffee bottle which read – decaffeinated coffee! His ‘belief’ that caffeine would drive away his tiredness transformed his state of mind. If he chose to believe, even a plain glass of water would have had the same effect. Our mind rules our body and our beliefs rule our mind. It is pertinent to note that conviction borne of strong belief needs no other crutches! Not even caffeine! No need for crutches like cups of caffeine, Let’s BE BETTER at beliefs that sustain! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Sound Detectives – monday muse (31 M ay’10)
MONDAY MUSE (31 May 2010) SOUND DETECTIVES Sensory awareness plays a crucial role in Out Bound Training. One such activity is called Sound Detectives. Participants are asked to close their eyes and listen. They are told to detect the various sounds that they can hear… the nearest one… the farthest one… the loudest… the softest… eventually they open their eyes and share their experience. The Sound Detectives activity is also done at Hall based Training, but the detectable sounds and their distance from the listener gets limited. The activity is best done in the wild or areas away from man-made-machine sounds. Participants are amazed to discover the range of sounds that they can detect… right from those of small insects to sounds of trucks that ply in the distant. This experience holds valuable lessons of how to be better at the skill of listening. It shows that the onus of listening is primarily on the listener. To be better at listening we must be able to shut off all distractions and focus on our sense of hearing. Our ability to hear reaches and stretches far beyond our own expectations… if we would only listen! Learn to listen and listen to learn – is a motto profound Let’s BE BETTER at detecting the surrounding sound! - Pravin
[Goanet] Career – monday muse (24 May’ 10)
MONDAY MUSE (24 May 2010) CAREER Results of the HSSC Board and Entrance Examinations have been declared. Those, whose results are below expectations, seem desperate and lost. And ones who have done well, also appear tense and nervous. Most students and parents are careering towards the race track of career choices. Interestingly, the term ‘career’ has its roots in the Latin word – ‘carrera’ which literally means race. The pressure is increasing on our youth to make career choices without looking at dreams, aspirations and aptitude. Unlike earlier, when career options were limited, today a plethora of potential professions are available to plan a career. Yet, young students are being conditioned to attach value to few careers. Worse, they are being discouraged from moving towards their childhood dreams. It is also pertinent to note that very few have the personal courage or the support to change tracks midway in their academic education. Too much pressure is generated by narrowing on select few career options. And most such career choices are at the cost of the real career – our life! It is important to not distance ourselves from real living. Career is, after all, the progress of the course of life. And living is beyond so-called status and handsome remunerations. Surely, it would be better to make the choice of attaching value and purpose to our own living. We need to examine whether our careers will permit us to have the time for the real needs of our life – family, community, the environment… As for the dilemma of taking up a remunerative career, it is prudent to go by the only-two-choices philosophy - ‘choose the career you love or love the career you choose’. Don’t get careered by the confusing choice strife… Let’s BE BETTER at choosing the real career of ‘life’! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Sandwich generation– monday muse (17 May’10)
MONDAY MUSE (17 May 2010) SANDWICH GENERATION Upon completing his training in restoration and conservation, Victor Hugo Gomes returned to Goa to take charge as curator of the Musuem of Christian Art at the Seminary of Rachol. His research made him realise that years of accumulated wisdom in agrarian practices, traditional implements, tools, arts, crafts and the valuable artefacts in and around the state, was being neglected or left to decay. Victor went on to embark on an arduous and remarkable journey of visiting and collecting items of Goa’s rich cultural heritage. His ethnographical Goa Chitra museum is not just a fantastic collection of ancient artefacts. Adjacent to the museum is a 3-acre field that has been created using traditional organic farming methods and allows visitors to actually use some of the implements on display within. It all began for Victor with an awareness of being part of a sandwich generation. A sandwich generation is the crucial link between major transitions in society. It stands on the threshold of time, as an increasing dependence on technology and mass manufactured products push out time-honoured tools and practices. The real loss, as Victor says, is about losing evidence of the sustainable lifestyles of our forefathers. Victor and his wife Aldina, inspire us to be better at carrying on the legacy of long-established wisdom and practices. It is up to us in the sandwich generation to ensure that the collective wisdom of sustainable living, acquired over the ages, is not lost to the future generations due to wrong choices in our lifestyles. If cannot add, may we at least maintain the worthy legacy of forefathers and pass it on to the next generation. It will BE BETTER if the sandwich generation… Will make the connect with sustainable action! - Pravin K. Sabnis Check out http://www.goachitra.com
[Goanet] Curtain Call – monday muse (10 May ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (10 May 2010) CURTAIN CALL In stage shows, at the end of a performance when the performers return to be recognized by the audience for what is called a curtain call. One by one, actors, dancers, musicians and backstage artists assemble on stage to receive their rightful applause from an appreciative audience. However, the tradition is not restricted only to stage performances. In sports contests, sportspersons who perform well return to the field of play after a big play or at the conclusion of the game for recognition. In movies, the curtain call showcases the film's end credits through clips, stills, or outtakes of the various players. The concept of a curtain call came to mind after hearing of the shocking news came of a friend who died last weekend. Some spoke, some wrote about the tragedy of a youth dying young; about his achievements and the legacy of a life cut short. But sadly death permits no curtain call. The one who is dead cannot bask in the warm appreciation or even affectionate criticism by the ones who miss him. Hence it is important that we give performers the benefit of appreciation through a curtain call, while they are alive. What we speak or write in their memory has meaning only for the family, friends and community and others, not for the one who is dead! Hence it is necessary that appreciation of a worthy effort or achievement is immediate. However curtain calls are not about lavish felicitations or eloquent tributes or awards. As any stage performer would tell you, curtain calls are about unadulterated appreciation. Nothing more. Nothing less. Hence it would be better if the deserving get called for the curtain call as often as they perform! May the curtain call happen every time it is deserved… Let’s BE BETTER at appreciating before life is severed! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Just Ask! – monday muse (26Apr ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (16 April 2010) JUST ASK! A Zen tale tells of three monks who practised meditation together, sitting by the side of a lake. One day, one monk opened his eyes and stood up to say, ‘I forgot my mat.’ Instead of walking around the lake to their hut, he stepped onto the water and serenely walked across the lake! Upon his return, the second monk declared, ‘I forgot to put my clothes to dry.’ He too walked across the water and returned the same way. Now the third monk decided to test of his own abilities. He rose to declare, ‘your learning cannot be greater than mine… I too can match any feat you two can perform!’ he rushed to the water's edge to walk across it. He promptly fell into the deep water. Wet but undeterred, he climbed out of the water and tried again, only to sink into the water. The other two monks watched as this went on for some time. After a while, the second monk turned to the first and said, Do you think we should tell him where the stones are? Just because something appears easy for others; it may not be so for us. Disproportionate pride in our perceived abilities arises from a snooty attitude that makes us presume that we can easily do what others do effortlessly. In the quest to be better; we belittle the method and attach undue and bloated importance to our own capabilities. So many things can be emulated successfully, only if we were willing to be humble learners! Pedro says, ‘avoid assumptions; to learn, simply ask’. After all, that’s how we learnt to do so many things in our childhood. Let’s shun childish arrogance and embrace childlike humility and eagerness to ask and learn… May learning by humble asking never make us queasy… sure, we can BE BETTER at doing what others find easy! - Pravin K. Sabnis PRAVIN SABNIS conducts UNLEARNING UNLIMITED outbound workshops. MONDAY MUSE is based on JCI-India’s National President’s theme: Touch To Transform (2004), We Are The Future (2005), Speak Through Action (2006), Develop New Dimensions (2007) the JCI theme – BE BETTER (2008 onwards).
[Goanet] Talent – monday muse (26Apr’1 0)
MONDAY MUSE (16 April 2010) TALENT What really is talent? Can a person with a melodious voice be described as talented? Surely not until an audience appreciates his singing! When we speak about somebody’s talent we are obviously talking about a proven performance, not about a latent quality. And hence technique and temperament will determine what can be certified as talent. Among young children, it is easy to notice an instinctive flair for singing, drawing, story-telling and dancing. With inspirational nurturing, natural flairs can be developed into skills. But competitive comparisons with the performances of other children often results in a lack of belief. And hence adults often declare that they cannot sing or draw or dance! John W Gardner wrote, 'There are those who perform great deeds and those that make it possible for others to perform great deeds. There are pathfinders and path preservers. There are those who nurture and those who inspire. There are those whose excellence involves doing something well and those whose excellence lies in being the kind of people they are, lies in their kindness or honesty or courage.' Earlier 'talent' referred to expertise or achievement of a pre-determined objective. Today 'talent' denotes broader nuances of leadership potential, abilities to straddle varied functional areas, cultures and geographic boundaries - all in a seamless manner. Real talent needs the development of soft skills, values, the ability to work in teams, to think out of the box, and importantly, the willingness to learn and share. Each of us are owners to many a talent Let’s be better at developing the latent! - Pravin K. Sabnis
[Goanet] Great Day – monday muse (19 Apr ’10)
--- Sign the Petition requesting The Honble Minister of State for Environment and Forests (I/C) to maintain the moratorium on issuing further environmental clearances for mining activities in Goa http://goanvoice.org.uk/miningpetition.php --- MONDAY MUSE (19 April 2010) GREAT DAY One of the best lines of wishes that I picked up from my favourite teacher, Fr Gatti was, ‘Have a great day!’ Before I met him the best wish that I heard was ‘have a good day’. Instinctively to me it was akin to a hopeful wish that only good things should happen. However, Fr Gatti’s wish resonated with resolve and inspiration to make the day great. So how does one make a great day? It is pertinent to learn the lessons from little children. Babies can gleefully play with empty boxes and other trivia. For them, the sights of a bright flower or a chirpy bird or a gushing stream or a splendid rainbow are all triggers of great joy. A day of play with friends and family, whether outdoors or indoors, are occasions for certifying it to be a great day. Surely, we were the same when young. Yet so often, we adults wait for our ‘great days’ without realizing that the day that went by and that the day that comes will be great days only if we look upon them as such. We tend to set too many criteria for happiness: ‘when I get this’, ‘when I have more money’, ‘when I have a better house, better furniture, so on and so forth’ and we forget to live every day, enjoying today. We should be more like children who truly live in the moment! As we get older, we distance ourselves from the approach of enjoying each and every day. We must retain our child like attitude of living each moment to its fullest and making a better and greater day! We need to realise that more important than money and material are the valuable moments of time invested in enjoying simple pleasures. Learn from the child, life’s little joys seem to say Let’s BE BETTER at making possible a great day! - Pravin K. Sabnis Send free SMS to your Friends on Mobile from your Yahoo! Messenger. Download Now! http://messenger.yahoo.com/download.php
[Goanet] Turbulence – monday muse (12 Apr ’10)
--- Sign the Petition requesting The Honble Minister of State for Environment and Forests (I/C) to maintain the moratorium on issuing further environmental clearances for mining activities in Goa http://goanvoice.org.uk/miningpetition.php --- MONDAY MUSE (12 April 2010) TURBULENCE ‘Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors’ - African proverb The test of the skill of a sailor is his ability to manage the challenges of a rough sea. And the biggest challenge of them all is in the mind. Will self-doubts overcome belief? Will wild winds blow holes in our purpose? Will the bumpy waves drown down perseverance? Surely the strongest trait of character lies in the value of perseverance. The dictionary explains perseverance as steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief or a purpose. Yet, so often we are derailed by the changing tracks of chaotic challenges. So often, our craving for peace results in running way from turmoil. We choose to play blind, deaf, mute and lame to the unrest in the circumstances. Craving for selfish peace in the midst of turmoil is akin to sterile thinking. It will never enhance your acquired skills. On the other hand, the biggest achievements in arts, science, and also in our history, are the outcome of turbulent thoughts taken head-on by resolute minds. Those who can literally ride the rough seas are the ones who will be better at developing their abilities and actualise their potential. Come on now; do not sing the loser’s song, Let’s be better at taking turbulence head-on! - Pravin K. Sabnis Send free SMS to your Friends on Mobile from your Yahoo! Messenger. Download Now! http://messenger.yahoo.com/download.php
[Goanet] Last Lecture – monday muse (29Mar ’10)
MONDAY MUSE (29 March 2010) LAST LECTURE The Carnegie Mellon University had an academic tradition where top academics were invited to deliver a hypothetical ‘last lecture’. The speaker had to share the pick of his wisdom with the world as if it was his last chance! However in 2007, when Randy Pausch stood up to speak, it was no hypothetical situation as he was actually facing death! A month before the lecture, Randy’s pancreatic cancer, after a year of surgery and chemotherapy, was confirmed to be terminal. However, in his ‘last lecture’, Randy shrugged off pity. He didn’t speak about death; he spoke about life and of living a more fulfilling life, by simply achieving childhood dreams. He offered insights from his childhood and important lessons he wanted his kids to learn. He reiterated the need to enjoy everything we do and to live life to its fullest before it ends. On 25 July 2008, Randy succumbed to pancreatic cancer, but his book based on his last lecture continues to inspire. He said that he would rather have cancer than be hit by a bus. After all, if he died suddenly, he wouldn't have had the time to spend as much possible time with his family and getting their life ready for his death and beyond. Knowing that he was going to die resulted in enhancing his remaining life. To be better at living the life that we really want to live, we must put together our ‘last lecture’... our thoughts if we knew we had few days to live. We need to reconnect to our childhood dreams that lie hidden in the maze of complexities that are created by our desperate dash towards materialistic goals. When we envision our ‘last lecture’ and allow it to align with a mission, we will find true meaning to our lives. Our last lecture can truly be our guiding mission... To BE BETTER at living life in sync with our vision! - Pravin K. Sabnis PRAVIN SABNIS conducts UNLEARNING UNLIMITED outbound workshops. MONDAY MUSE is based on JCI-India’s National President’s theme: Touch To Transform (2004), We Are The Future (2005), Speak Through Action (2006), Develop New Dimensions (2007) the JCI theme – BE BETTER (2008 onwards). Your Mail works best with the New Yahoo Optimized IE8. Get it NOW! http://downloads.yahoo.com/in/internetexplorer/
[Goanet] H2O – monday muse (22Mar’10)
MONDAY MUSE (22 March 2010) H2O Today as the world celebrates Water Day; let’s revisit the stirring story of Ralegaon Siddhi in Maharashtra, India. The drought-prone villagers were in debt. Rampant alcoholism brought along feuds and crime, especially against women. The village temple around the samadhi of ‘Yadavbaba’ had broken down. The wood from it had been used as firewood. It was to this village that Anna Hazare returned 25 years ago. Today the temple is the hub of activity and houses a ‘grain bank’. Water is systematically harvested and three crops are grown. The village where a fifth of the families ate only one meal a day, now markets vegetables, grain, and milk. While neighboring villages wait for Government tankers to bring drinking water, Ralegaon has enough for the villagers as well as the hundreds who walk in to see Anna’s vision. The very way of life and relationships within the village has been transformed. Everything is built by community effort. People get married in community marriages. All this has been achieved by decades of dedication by Anna who came from a poor family in debt, took an early retirement from the army as a truck driver, inspired by Swami Vivekananda's dictum, ‘The purpose of life is to serve others.’ A once destitute village is now, a brand for appropriate development. It isn’t enough to identify what is wrong, we must initiate action and back it with committed perseverance. Anna has shown the way of involving community to change the situation. Ralegaon Siddhi is stimulation to be better at managing the real elixir of life – water! To BE BETTER at overcoming the H2O situation, We must walk Anna’s path of collective action! - Pravin K. Sabnis Your Mail works best with the New Yahoo Optimized IE8. Get it NOW! http://downloads.yahoo.com/in/internetexplorer/
[Goanet] Building Bridges – monday muse (15Ma r’10)
MONDAY MUSE (15 March 2010) BUILDING BRIDGES Two brothers with adjacent farms fell apart after years of farming side by side, sharing machinery and labour. The relationship soured because a small misunderstanding grew into an exchange of bitter words. The enmity resulted in the younger brother excavating the meadow between their lands to create a deep trench. The infuriated elder brother asked a carpenter to block his brother out of view by building a high fence. The farmer went to town and returned at sunset to see that the carpenter had not built any fence. Instead he had built a bridge across the trench! And his estranged younger brother was coming across, his hand outstretched and saying, ‘after all I've said and done, you have built this bridge’. The brothers laid to rest their differences as they embraced on the bridge. So often, small misunderstandings develop into major rifts. The deepest of divides can be overcome, only by the building of bridges. If we cannot bridge the gap ourselves, we must permit mutual well-wishers to build the bridge like the carpenter did. The bridge of communication helps us to be better at crossing across the unwarranted rift in a relationship. So many gaps widen only because there were no attempts to bridge the break-ups. We must re-look at all our conflicts and examine them to see whether they are divergences on values and principles or just frivolous misunderstandings. Most of the time, we discover it is the latter and when do realise the fact, may the bridge be built! May we BE BETTER at building bridges of connection… to overcome every divisive gap in the bond of association! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Yin-Yang – monday muse (8Mar’ 10)
MONDAY MUSE (8 March 2010) YIN-YANG In the 1980s, when television was new to Goa, the start of the telecast would bring into view the rotating form of ‘yin-yang’ that evolved into the logo of Doordarshan. However, we were not aware of the deep meaning of one of the oldest and best-known life symbols which though opposite, are bound together as parts of a mutual whole. As two aspects of a single reality, Yin and Yang are forces that always seek balance. Each contains the seed of the other (seen as a black spot of Yin in the white Yang and vice versa). This Monday muse, on occasion of the International Women’s day, seeks to connect to the manifestations of Yin and Yang as female and male. Though seemingly contrary forces, they are interconnected and interdependent. It is pertinent to note that in Yin and Yang, every advance is matched by a retreat, and every rise transforms into a fall. They are not meant to replace each other but actually become each other through a constant flow of interaction and transformation. Yin and yang constantly interact and hold significant lessons for both, men and women. It is not only women, but men, too, who need empowerment in a male-chauvinistic world. Both have to accept their own individualities as well as the commonalities. To be better, we must respect the dignity of all sorts of roles that we look down upon due to regressive conditioning in society. We must discover that we are like yin-yang, holding the seed of complementary harmony that needs to connect to deep roots of understanding each other while stretching out to the unlimited skies! Together, women and women create a beautiful way… Yin and Yang show the way to BE BETTER, each day! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] WEB of LIFE – MondayMuse(22Feb ’10)
--- *** Follow Goanet on Twitter *** http://twitter.com/goanet --- MONDAY MUSE (22 February 2010) WEB OF LIFE In environmental education, the activity called ‘web of life’ reveals the interconnectedness of various animals, plants and elements of nature. A person poses as the sun in the centre of a ring of persons representing different elements of nature. One end of a ball of string is tied to the finger of the central person and then connected to the finger of a person who states his relationship with the sun. The string moves across various connections to create an intertwined web. It is now physically possible to understand the interconnectedness between various players. When the facilitator presses any particular string, the strain is felt not only by the fingers of the directly connected; others too feel the pain since the pressed string passes on the tension to other connections that it criss-crosses. Variants of the game display interconnectedness between communities, stakeholders and teams. In an interdependent world, our actions or those of others result in a related gain or pain for even seemingly unrelated players. The Buddhist concept of no self or no other, suggests that the world of interrelatedness needs mindfulness (be aware), compassion (shun selfish actions) and openness (accountability). To be better at making the web of life sustainable for all, we must be responsible in our actions and responsive to positive and negative roles around us. After all, it is said so well that either we are part of the solution or we are part of the problem! The web of life shows that our world is clearly interconnected... May we BE BETTER to fulfil our responsibilities interrelated! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] WINDOW – MondayMuse(8Feb2010)
MONDAY MUSE (8 February 2010) WINDOW In school, we heard the story of two men sharing a hospital room. The younger man’s ailment forced him to lie flat on his back all the time. Every morning and evening, the older man – whose bed was near the room's only window - would sit up and describe to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window... a park with a lovely lake, ducks and swans, children sailing their little boats, lovers sharing intimacy amidst flowers of every colour of the rainbow… The young man would eagerly wait for his world to be enlivened by colour of the outside world. As the elder described in detail, the young man would close his eyes and imagine the scene. When he heard the description of a parade passing by, though he could not hear the band, he would see it in his mind’s eye. However deep down the young man was envious and resentful of the old man’s position next to the window. In due course, when the old man died, the youth sought to be shifted to the bed with the view. The nurse was amused and told him that it would be useless as the only view he could see was of the ceiling as he was forced to lie flat on the bed. Nevertheless, he persisted and eventually the nurse shifted him next to the window. As soon as she left, he painfully propped himself up on one elbow. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall! The lesson that endures in the above story is the about the choice to envision a colourful view in an otherwise blank window. So often when faced with a dead-end, we subscribe to pessimism. It is pertinent to note that we describe what we subscribe and inversely so as well. Hence to be better at overcoming a blank situation, we must choose to colour the view with the hues of hope and positive thinking… and such forward-looking vision is best fortified through sharing. Let’s BE BETTER at how a situational void we may describe… After all, every window holds only the view that we subscribe! - Pravin K. Sabnis Goa, India. Pravin K. Sabnis visit: www.unlearningunlimited.blogspot.com www.poems-pravinsabnis.blogspot.com www.monday-muse.blogspot.com Your Mail works best with the New Yahoo Optimized IE8. Get it NOW! http://downloads.yahoo.com/in/internetexplorer/
[Goanet] A BETTER DAY – MondayMuse(25Jan2010 )
MONDAY MUSE (25 January 2010) A BETTER DAY At our home, the bathroom mirror doubles up as a writing board. Birthday wishes, ‘welcome back’ messages, ‘things to do’ are penned down using colourful markers. It works very well as the wishes and important messages get seen at the right time – at the start of the day, in the morning! One morning, the mirror showcased a line written by Sonia, my 12-year old daughter – ‘Make today better than yesterday!’ When I complimented her for the lovely words, she instantly told me that she had read them in a children’s magazine. Then, I asked her as to how could one make today better than yesterday. Her reply was simple yet significant, ‘by being happy!’ Surely, it as uncomplicated! It is said so well that life is less about how we make it and more about how we take it. Never mind the mishaps, never find the hurdles and never mind the regrets; it all boils downs to how we respond to the stimuli and the situation. Nevertheless, an affirmative attitude cannot be a postscript reaction. We have start every day with a resolve to make it a better day. A better day is a matter of choice. We can choose a make a better day or we can choose to make it worse. We can opt to be happy and proactive or we can opt to be unhappy and reactive or inactive. But it is pertinent to note that being happy does not mean being oblivious of or indifferent to the situation. Instead it is about taking every challenge and situation head on with a positive willingness that is reinforced with an attitude of tolerance and contentment. If a resolve to be happy is chosen every day… Surely, today will BE BETTER then yesterday! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Marathon – MondayMuse(18Jan2010)
MONDAY MUSE (18 January 2010) MARATHON Months of focussed zeal and marathon efforts bore fruit for Goan architect, Sunil Sardessai as he successfully completed the half marathon at Mumbai. The event put on display the inspiring spirit of the marathon reflected in the body language of the thousands of athletes, recreational runners, enthusiastic elders and the physically challenged who took up the test in various categories of the Mumbai marathon. The marathon celebrates the legend of Pheidippides, the Greek soldier, who ran non-stop to deliver a message from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens and then collapsed to his death. Ever since its launch in modern Olympics, the foot race has become popular. In the 800 marathons organised annually all over the globe, the bulk of the runners are recreational athletes like Sunil who run many lessons for us. It requires daring to choose a worthy challenge and perseverance to train and prepare for it. It involves disciplined practice sessions as well as significant lifestyle changes. The focus is to BE BETTER… to lay greater worth to the ability to improve personal performance with reference to a previous effort. Most do not run a marathon to win; they find success in completing it! Let’s embrace the lessons from the marathon: to dare, to persevere and to be better than the earlier effort! To BE BETTER is the lesson from the marathon… Let’s persevere to complete the challenge song! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Dead or Alive – MondayMuse(11Jan2010 )
MONDAY MUSE (11 January 2010) DEAD OR ALIVE Yesterday, at a youth leadership development workshop organised by Goa Sudharop, the Chief Guest, Fr Maverick Fernandes was at his innovative best. Instead of speaking from the podium, he walked to the whiteboard and wrote about a person born in 1976, dead in 2000 and buried in 2006. Then he asked the young participants about whether such a situation was plausible. The interaction that followed threw up many suggestions. Some opined about a possible delay in finding the body after death. Others imagined that there was some sort of dispute over the dead body. Fr Maverick led the discussion to consider that the death was actually referring to a disconnect with real living by the person. A situation where the person was technically existing but not living in the real sense! We need to ask ourselves the questions that Fr Maverick queried of his listeners... Are we akin to such a person whose living purpose is only to exist? Is there meaning and purpose in our lives? Does our existence mean anything for the world that we live in? Are we dead or alive to the challenges that loom beyond our existential needs? So easily we insulate ourselves from being alive and responsive to the situation that surrounds us. So often we are dead before a real death. So often we bury our heads in our comfort zones and ignore the real reality out there. Let’s be better at choosing to be alive and proactively responsive to every challenge that comes with life. To every trial that comes with being... Let’s BE BETTER at responsive living! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] ColouredMoon–MondayMuse(4Jan2010)
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- Happy New Year Twenty-Ten --- MONDAY MUSE (4 January 2010) COLOURED MOON On New Year’s Eve we witnessed a blue moon in our skies. Blue does not refer to the colour of the moon that night… it was the rare incidence of a thirteenth moon in the year. Hence, we use the phrase ‘once in a blue moon’ to single out rare happenings. The occasion triggered the connect to a visual that I use during my unlearning unlimited workshops. It is a photograph that is widely circulated on the net to demonstrate the illusion of sight. The visual is about a lady sitting before a dressing table mirror, but it appears like a human skull. On stretching our observation, we notice many more possibilities… a bulb, a sailing ship, a wedding, a fort, so on and so forth… Whenever somebody suggests that they can see a moon, I immediately ask, ‘Is the moon yellow in colour?’ Most persons laugh and instantly declare that it actually looks like the yellow sun. I repeat my question till somebody answers that the moon is quite often yellow in colour, especially when close to the horizon. The lesson is obvious. Our minds are conditioned to pick up white and silver colours when we seek to colour the drawing of a moon. But it can be seen in many colours... if we would only look to see! We must be better at keeping an open mind... for it is only an open mind that can see the spectrum of possibilities... and the many colours of the moon! Let’s BE BETTER at searching the skies to see... The visionary moon is as coloured as it can be! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] KYOSEI – MondayMuse(28Dec’09)
MONDAY MUSE (28 December 2009) KYOSEI ‘Kyosei’ is a union of two Japanese words: ‘kyo’ means together and ‘sei’ means to live. The term was first used in academic biology to refer to symbiosis. However, the concept of ‘kyosei’ is also increasingly used in the social context as ‘living and working together for the common good’. In an increasingly competitive, highly individualistic world, so many of us work only for our personal good. Yet we complain about the negative impact of self-centered attitudes and actions by other persons like us. The kyosei philosophy is based on the fundamental belief that only a harmonious coexistence with nature and the environment can help society achieve sustainable development. The core tenets of kyosei are universal principles of common sense and morality This include the tenet of reciprocity and the golden rule of treating others as you would like to be treated. It also implies an understanding of our primary interconnectedness and the fact that our actions have an impact both in local (visible) and far-reaching (invisible) ways. It is about valuing the “middle path”... like practicing moderation in personal habits and the need to find a healthy balance between self-interest and altruism. It involves the crucial preference for simplicity. After all it is the elegance of simplicity that will be better at connecting us into harmony with others and the planet. To deserve quality of life, we have to look beyond Let’s BE BETTER at being part of the kyosei bond! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] PEZ – MondayMuse(21Dec’09)
PEZ – MondayMuse(21Dec’09) MONDAY MUSE (21 December 2009) PEZ! On 6 December 2006, a meeting was convened in Goa to discuss the then impending danger of the proposed SEZs (Special Economic Zones). During the deliberations, somebody suggested that the alternatives to SEZs were PEZ (People’s Economic Zone). And thus was born a highly stimulating slogan in the local Konkani lingo – “amka naka SEZ, amka zai PEZ” (We do not want SEZ, we want PEZ) It is pertinent to note that ‘pez’ is also another Goan word for kanji – rice gruel.It is an integral part of the meals of the poor. Yet, others too opt for the ‘pez’ diet whenever confronted with illness. The elders recommended ‘pez’ as a healthy habit. Clearly, ‘pez’ is more than a tradition… it is a fundamentally simple yet highly nourishing meal of Goans and so many who reside on the coast. Similarly, PEZ as People’s Economic Zone remains a fundamentally simple yet highly sustainable concept. SEZs and all their other avatars are essentially land grabs and their development brings along destructive, irreversible impacts on lands, lives and livelihoods. Thus they are at best an oxymoron of destructive development and are invariably fuelled not by the stated need of the stakeholders but the ravenous greed of a few. Any so-called development that deteriorates the land, lives and livelihoods cannot be accepted as real development. Development is not about creating newer things and situations. It should be about enhancing value of existing resources and conditions. It is all about trying to be better, not worse! But like pez, PEZ should not be about solutions to be chosen after a problem happens… it should be the basic prevention of the problem’s occurrence. Not just when the situation gets worse and toxic Let’s BE BETTER at choosing PEZ as a practice! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Story of Stuff – MondayMuse(14Dec ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (14 December 2009) THE STORY OF STUFF Every summer when Annie Leonard’s family would drive out to camp, she would look at the landscape. She noted that the stores reached a bit further and the forests started a bit later every subsequent year. She wondered where the forests were going. Years later, while walking to her college, she would see piles of garbage line New York street’s every dawn. In the evening, she would walk back to her dorm, staring at empty sidewalks. She was increasingly intrigued with this microcosm of materials flow. She started looking into the trash to see what was in those never-ending piles. It was mostly paper. That was where the forests were ending up! Annie took a trip to the infamous Fresh Kills landfill. Its volume was described as greater than that of the Great Wall of China. In every direction, she could see couches, refrigerators, boxes, used clothes, stuff… Annie just couldn’t comprehend the massive mountain of materials, reduced to muck, by some system obviously out of control. She knew this was terribly wrong. She vowed to figure it out. And 20 years later she did! Annie created THE STORY OF STUFF - a 20-minute web-based documentary about the life-cycle of goods and services. She presented the critical connection between a huge number of environmental and social issues. Her thesis, you cannot run a linear system on a finite planet indefinitely is supported throughout the documentary by statistical data. It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8 Annie explains, “Our current ways of making, using and throwing away stuff is largely based on unsustainable and unjust systems yet, as a society, we’ve got this big collective blind spot about talking about this. Let’s raise the issues, let’s ask the hard questions, let’s get it on the table and examine it and debate it and figure out together how to move forward towards solutions.” As she says in the film, one of the good things about such an all pervasive problem is that there are so many points of intervention. The world will be better if we find that intervention that matches our skill set and our passions. Like Annie did! First we must understand and then intervene to change the story Let’s BE BETTER at taking on stuff that makes our world gory! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] The First Principle – MondayMuse(7De c’09)
MONDAY MUSE (7 December 2009) THE FIRST PRINCIPLE Kosen was a Zen Master, exceptionally skilled in calligraphy. Once, he was asked to sketch onto paper the words “The First Principle”, to guide carpenters to carve a larger carving in wooden gate of the temple. However while he sketched he was wary of a bold apprentice who stood next to him, disapproving of Kosen first effort and his next and his next… Kosen kept writing one sheet after another till many had accumulated, still without the endorsement of the pupil. Then, when his student stepped outside for a few moments, Kosen saw his chance to escape his keen eye. He wrote hurriedly, with a mind free from distraction. The pupil returned to see his work and pronounce, A masterpiece! Until, Kosen was engulfed by the weight of measuring up to his pupil’s approval, he could not actualise his own capability. The pressure weighed him down and distracted him from his own natural performance. The momentary exit of his student freed him of the tension and his was able to complete the task to his own approval as well as that of his pupil! So often, we too succumb to the stress and strain of approval and expectations of others, not only when surrounded by them, but also in their absence. Worrying about what others will think about what we did, is the biggest distraction that sidetracks us off our path. To be better at doing anything, we need to liberate ourselves of the anxiety that comes out of worrying about appraisal by others. Let’s overcome pressure that diverts us from our ability The First Principle to BE BETTER is to shake off anxiety! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] No more Bhopals – MondayMuse(30Nov ’09)
Join in solidarity with villagers of Dhulapi who will commemorate 25 years of BHOPAL DISASTER on December 03, 2009 at 4.00 pm. Dhulapi in Corlim Panchayat in Goa's Tiswadi taluka is facing industrial disaster due to Swiss multinational pesticides factory – SYNGENTA. MONDAY MUSE (30 November 2009) NO MORE BHOPALS! Yesterday, 45 workers at the Kaiga nuclear plant in Karwar, Karnataka suffered from radiation from contaminated water. While the Atomic Energy Commission may allege an act of sabotage, the worst fears are coming true for all who were opposed to the setting up of the plant. Sadly, we refuse to learn the lessons from man-made disasters. Twenty-five years ago, at midnight on 3 December 1984, it was a tryst with fatality for over 500,000 people in Bhopal. The Union Carbide plant released methyl isocyanate gas and other chemicals, killing nearly 10,000 in 72 hours and thrice the number have since died from gas-afflicted diseases. Even now, 390 tonnes of toxic chemicals abandoned at the plant continue to contaminate the ground water in Bhopal and affect its residents. Here in Goa, hazardous wastes from polluting industries is released into surface as well as ground waters. Man made disasters are a creation of callous corporates for whom profits are a greater priority than the lives of human beings. Our natural resources and human resource are under attack by the pied pipers of economic prosperity. The appreciation of wealth of a few is resulting in the depreciation of the health of many. It is only at our peril that we can ignore the menace, of ‘toxification’ of our ecosystem. Any act that worsens the condition of land and lives cannot be accepted as development. But plain indignation by the citizens can never suffice. It would be better to commit ourselves to real actions to ensure that there are no more Bhopals! We must treat all man made disasters as acts of bio-terrorism and counter them, their promoters and apologists as such. To BE BETTER at learning the Bhopal lesson, We must treat man made disasters as treason! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Past Tense? – MondayMuse(23Nov ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (23 November 2009) PAST TENSE? You'd turn out this way too, if you had a childhood like mine was the answer two brothers gave whenever asked why their lives turned out the way they did. They shared a dreadful childhood. Their mother died young and their father was an abusive alcoholic who was violent with his children. Their nurturing was in the midst of the worst of family conditions. Obviously, all this had a huge impact on their eventual life scripts. One brother could not cope with school and dropped out. He involved in various businesses and went through many lows. Like his father, he took to excessive drinking. After marriage, he would shout at and beat up his wife and his children, just like his father did. An unfortunate story was being repeated all over again. His other brother too dropped out from school. He joined the trade of a mechanic and began to earn a decent living. He enrolled at a night school and went on to educate himself. He was a sensitive and supportive husband to his wife and a caring and doting father to his children. Both brothers could not change their terrible past. Yet their diverse life scripts are a pointer that our life is eventually about the choice we make. While one brother succumbed to the dead weight of his past, the other chose to learn from his past and ensure that it was not repeated. Pedro says, “the past tells where you come from, but it does not tell where you will go”. Where we go is decided not by our past but our response to it. Life is the script that we write by our actions and attitude. If we want our life to be better, we must go beyond the burdens of the past. Whether our past was tense or whether it was the best… Our life must go beyond to BE BETTER by laying it to rest! The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] DoomsdayReturns–Monday-muse(16Nov ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (16 November 2009) DOOMSDAY RETURNS “I worry that, especially as the Millennium edges nearer, pseudo-science and superstition will seem year by year more tempting, the siren song of unreason more sonorous and attractive.” – Dr Carl Sagan Dr Sagan’s apprehensions about modern gullibility continue to resonate in the present millennium as well. A latest disaster film makes specious claims interlaced with purportedly scientific message to suggest that the world would end in 2012. A fictitious website (set up by the producers of the film) lists the Nibiru collision, a galactic alignment and increased solar activity among its possible doomsday scenarios. David Morrison of NASA received over 1000 inquiries from people who thought the website was genuine. He has condemned it, saying I've even had cases of teenagers writing to me saying they are contemplating suicide because they don't want to see the world end. I think when you lie on the Internet and scare children in order to make a buck that is ethically wrong. It is necessary to put the current hype about Mayan calendars and doomsday predictions in context. Though most prophecies of doom come from a religious perspective, the secular crowd has caused its share of scares as well. But it is pertinent to note that the one thing the doomsday scenarios tend to share in common is that ‘they don't come to pass!’ Yet the gullible continue to accept the incredulous. And yet, we do not pay heed to real imminent problems like global warming, pollution pressure, growing economic disparity and skewed developmental policies. It would be better if we trash doomsday predictions and instead set right our own irresponsible actions that may spell doomsday for the future generations. In our real world there is much to be done; there is much to fear… It will BE BETTER if we let go of the worry of a fake-doomsday year! - Pravin K. Sabnis The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Single Story – Monday-muse (9 Nov ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (9 November 2009) SINGLE STORY “The single story creates stereotypes. And the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.” - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie In the early 80’s, a single story was spread about the Sikh community in India … that all of them were violent terrorists deserving to be shot down by the Army. This single story sought to condemn an entire community which actually carries many dimensions of humanism, humour, entrepreneurship and infectious enthusiasm. Today, though that vicious single story of the Sikhs is no longer a part of our consciousness… the actions and attitudes born of it have left behind a bloody trail of brutality and killing. Single stories give rise to stereotypes and prejudices that lead us to opinions ranging from contempt to hatred, from false pride to a negative sense of history, from insensitivity to irrationality. Stories cannot be just painted in black and white with shades of grey. They must reflect the entire assortment of facts, contradictions and possibilities. The hue has to reflect the human diversity in its multiple dimensions and its many stories. Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, makes the pertinent point that the single, stereotyped story flattens the experience to a singular and dangerously-damaging dimension. She insists that multiple stories matter, “Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.” And it is such multiple stories that can save us from the danger of a single story! (http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html) To BE BETTER at breaking the stereotype … We must go beyond the single story hype! - Pravin The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Terrorism – Monday-muse (19 Oct ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (19 October 2009) TERRORISM The annual general body of the Parent Teachers Association provides occasion to voice concerns. At my daughter’s school, a parent, Mr. Zaidi spoke on the threatening trepidation of terrorism. He made a pertinent point that terrorists were not just those who endangered lives... they included all those whose diminutive acts led to eventual destruction and devastation. Zaidi spelt out the seemingly innocuous acts that paved the path to peril. Motorists who exceeded speed limit restrictions endangered the safety of the bridge and therefore they were indulging in terrorism. Citizens who did not participate in the responsible management of garbage were pushing society to a deadly epidemic and hence they were fostering a terrorist act. Similarly, environment polluters were jeopardizing lives and foisting terrorism. Zaidi’s analysis made a pertinent point. Terrorism arises in a self-centred mind clouded by a criminal contempt for collective responsibilities... where narrow motives eclipse the common good. Every time, we involve in acts that eventually lead to the endangerment of lives, we are becoming active contributors to the inhuman acts of terrorism. More often than not, it is the governing authorities and promoters of irresponsible and self-interested ‘development’ that contribute to the build-up of deadly acts of destruction. However, It is not enough to be a good person… we must be better at ensuring zero tolerance for all acts that lead to eventual terrorism. We must ask ourselves: Do we directly or indirectly support those who in the name of development wreck destruction of lives, lands and livelihoods? Do we overtly or covertly support religious fundamentalists who use the cloak of spiritualism to promote hate and contempt that eventually leads to rioting and violence? Or do we just stand and stare in insensitive indifference? To BE BETTER at tackling the menace of terrorism... Let’s connect citizenship with responsive humanism! - Pravin K. Sabnis Try the new Yahoo! India Homepage. Click here. http://in.yahoo.com/trynew
[Goanet] Empathy – Monday-muse (12 Oct ’09)
* G * O * A * N * E * T C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * Planning to get married in Goa? www.weddingsetcgoa.com Making your 'dream wedding' possible MONDAY MUSE (12 October 2009) EMPATHY Our ability to connect with another’s predicament can vary from insensitive indifference to responsive understanding called empathy. Empathy is distinct from pity, sympathy and emotional contagion. Pity is ‘feeling sorry’ for someone in trouble and in need of help. Sympathy is feeling compassion or concern for another, the wish to see them better off or happier. Emotional contagion is when we imitatively 'catch' the emotions that others are showing without necessarily recognizing this is happening. In 1993, just before Diwali, the Latur earthquake uprooted lives, families and homes. All of us felt pity and sympathy for the affected people. Some of us joined the emotional contagion of donating money and material. But the most valuable lesson came from the families who chose to scale down Diwali celebrations to the bare minimum… as they would have if tragedy were to strike their own home. The money was instead spent for relief work. Andre Gide queried aptly, ‘Are you then unable to recognize unless it has the same sound as yours?’ Empathy is about recognizing the ‘sound’ of another’s experience even if it is unlike any of ours. It is about putting oneself into the psychological frame of reference of another, so that the other person’s feelings, thinking and actions are understood. However, empathy should not be an occasional emotion… to be unravelled only in times of great tragedy. For instance, we cuddle contradictions if we practise empathy as a response to ecological calamities while ignoring the fact that they are a result of man-made decisions that trigger the disaster. Hence, we must hear the ‘sounds’ of struggle of people who strive to save their lives, lands and livelihoods. Real empathy is about consistency in our actions to be responsible and responsive human beings. To BE BETTER at the attitude of empathy… Let’s move beyond situational sympathy! - Pravin K. Sabnis Now, send attachments up to 25MB with Yahoo! India Mail. Learn how. http://in.overview.mail.yahoo.com/photos
[Goanet] Art of Dying – Monday-muse (5 Oct ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (5 October 2009) ART OF DYING “I have seen two types of persons... some die silently, others die shouting… and now I saw the third kind” – from the film ‘Rang de Basanti’ When he was born on 17 February 1930 in Calicut, Kerala, the astrologers refused to cast a horoscope for him. They predicted that he would die soon. But Basava Premanand went on to live an inspirationally great life of 80 years till he died on 4 October 2009 at his residence in Podnur, Tamil Nadu. In the 1940s, Premanand quit school to take part in Quit India Movement. He spent the next 7 years in the newly started Sri-Steila Gurukula. He started the Indian Committee for scientific investigation of Claims of the Paranormal; moved around India explaining the tricks behind miracles and superstitious psychic phenomena and founded FIRA (Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations) which has more than 68 organizations in 26 states in India. Besides authoring 36 books, he also edited the monthly ‘Indian Skeptic’ with articles on the scientific investigation of apparently paranormal occurrences. Premanand has conducted workshops explaining about 150 miracles from different parts of the world. British film maker, Robert Eagle shot Premanand displaying and teaching many supposedly supernatural stunts such as levitation, flesh piercing and live burials in his documentary, Guru Busters. He was given a fellowship of National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) for his efforts to spread scientific awareness. In 2006, Premanand was diagnosed to be on the threshold of death due to extreme cancer of the stomach. Though doctors insisted on an emergency operation, Premanand went off instead to search for a contractor to build his dream project - a museum on Method of Science. He handed over the money and came back for an operation that was unable to negate the shadow of death. Yet, Premanand’s enthusiasm never diminished and the project was inaugurated on 5 March 2009 in Podnur. As his health worsened, Premanand’s detractors began a malicious campaign that he had renounced his rationalism. The fiery sceptic called for his colleagues, Dr Narendra Nayak and Somu Rao and wrote a “declaration of attitude and temperament’ wherein he challenged the rumours and urged his colleagues in the movement to keep working for the cause of rationalism and humanism. The news of an impeding death has frozen dreams in many a mind… people get sentimental and indulge in worrying… they look at smaller concerns, most surrounding self-interests… tough personalities slow down after being told that they possess some life threatening ailment. But undoubtedly, Premanand has taught us the art of dying… of never giving up on living! Premanand has shown us the way to BE BETTER at the art of living… We must move on faster with our life’s dreams when pursued by dying! - Pravin K. Sabnis From cricket scores to your friends. Try the Yahoo! India Homepage! http://in.yahoo.com/trynew
[Goanet] Joy of Giving – Monday-muse (28 Sept ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (28 September 2009) JOY OF GIVING An ancient tale tells the story of woman who while wandering in the mountains, found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met a hungry traveler and when she opened her bag to share her food, he saw the precious stone. Instinctively, he asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing since he knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. However, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. I've been thinking, he said. I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone. Surely there is no greater personal asset than the joy that comes of giving. We may share sometimes some of our resources or some of our money. But we need to be better at giving. Like the women in the story, we must have the courage to share the most valuable – time, skills, knowledge and most importantly opportunity. It is all about letting go of our self-absorbed and self-seeking attitude that turns us away from the joy of giving… Also, so many of us ‘give’ only after we ‘grab’. A plunderer’s charity has no meaning. The joy of giving must comes out of a clear choice to redeem ourselves in a world of inequity and imbalance. When we look in the mirror in the morning, we should be looking at a citizen who is responsible and responsive – some who is part of the solution, not part of the problem… someone who does not grab, but who indulges in the joy of giving. To BE BETTER at the joy of giving… We must let go of self-centred living! - Pravin K. Sabnis From cricket scores to your friends. Try the Yahoo! India Homepage! http://in.yahoo.com/trynew
[Goanet] We shall overcome – Monday-muse (21 Sept’09)
MONDAY MUSE (21 September 2009) WE SHALL OVERCOME Today is the International Day of Peace. ‘Peace’ is deemed to signify an absence of antagonism and aggression. But it also represents a broader outlook of healthy interpersonal relationships in an interdependent world. Reasons for the absence of peace are primarily selfish greed, hateful prejudice and regressive discrimination. Various peace movements have marched to the determined chorus of the peace anthem – ‘we shall overcome’. This protest song of the US civil rights movement is believed to be derived from a hymn penned by Reverend Charles Tindley in the early 1900s. Martin Luther King used it in his oratory. Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen and many other singers have lent voice to it. Nations across the globe have created versions in so many languages. Indeed, it isn’t enough to sing ‘we shall overcome’.. Quite often peace becomes a shifty virtue that changes with situation. The cause of peace is oft sacrificed at the altar of selfishness. We may seek peace among religious communities, and yet play antagonist to our own neighbours. We may applaud efforts towards international peace, and yet turn a blind eye when destructive development seeks to disturb the peace of our people. All this happens as we rein in our internal resolve for peace by succumbing to materialistic pressures. To be better at connecting to true peace, we must first overcome the circle of self-centredness and look beyond to the larger perspective of peace for all. Very simply, we must overcome hate, greed and injustice of all sorts. The path to peace is filled with toil, self-doubt, seclusion and even defeat. But we shall overcome, someday! To BE BETTER at ‘overcoming’ the war someday… Let’s commit to the true resolve of peace today! - Pravin K. Sabnis Keep up with people you care about with Yahoo! India Mail. Learn how. http://in.overview.mail.yahoo.com/connectmore
[Goanet] Dancing – Monday-muse (14 Sept ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (14 September 2009) DANCING “Those move easiest who have learned to dance” - Alexander Pope For many the thought of moving body to the sound of music may not be too exciting. It takes guts to dance, especially in front of an audience. We are afraid of making fools of ourselves. More often than not, it is about being self-conscious about our body. But, what if our body was physically challenged? Would the diffidence of dancing instinct increase? In 1996, Ma Li lost her right arm in a car accident. She was 19 and training to be a ballerina. In 2001, she went on to win a gold medal in the national performing arts competition for the handicapped. In 2005, she met 21-year-old Zhai Xiaowein who had lost his left leg in a farming accident when he was just four. Ma Li began coaching Zhai to dance. In 2007, the dance duo – one without an arm and the other without a leg - registered as one of the 7,000 competitors in the fourth annual Chinese modern dance competition. Their act won them a silver medal and the highest number of audience votes. The video clip of their dance is a huge inspiration for many (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnLVRQCjh8c) and ample proof of why they deserved to win. So often we look at the way we are and find reasons to be de-motivated. But Ma Li and Zhai have shown that the way to live is to come to terms with what we are and yet choose to aim high. Life is not flawless but our living can be better in connecting to a lofty mission. Our body may not be faultless, but our dance can be better and full! to BE BETTER at surviving life’s deadlock Let’s learn dance and pull up our socks! - Pravin Keep up with people you care about with Yahoo! India Mail. Learn how. http://in.overview.mail.yahoo.com/connectmore
[Goanet] Length of the road – Monday-muse (7 Sept’09)
* G * O * A * N * E * T C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * Two new showrooms/office spaces, double height (135 sq m each with bath) for lease in upscale Campal/Miramar beach area, Panaji, Goa. Contact: goaengineer...@aol.com MONDAY MUSE (7 September 2009) Length of the Road A young but earnest student approached a Zen master with a preliminary query, If I work very hard and with diligence how long will it take for me to learn Zen. The Master immediately replied, Ten years. The student then said, But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast -- How long then? Replied the Master, twenty years. But, if I really, really work at it. How long then? the student persisted. Thirty years, replied the Master. But, I do not understand, said the disappointed student. At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that? Replied the Master, When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path. So often, when we seek to learn something, we keep worrying about ‘when’ we would ‘reach’ the destination, instead of focusing on the purpose of the trip. The approach to learning needs an attitude of patience. Time, it is said, seems to fly slower to the one whose main occupation is to watch its flight. More importantly, when we are seized by the length of the road we tend to let go of the exciting experiences during the journey of learning. We subject ourselves to an additional load on our mind which results in the creation of unnecessary stress that further clouds our visibility on the learning curve. It is prudent to ponder on ‘how’ rather than on ‘when’. To BE BETTER at learning sans the load, May we never mind the length of the road! - Pravin K. Sabnis Thinking of ordering food? Find restaurant numbers on Yahoo! India Local http://in.local.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Responsibility – Monday-muse (31 Aug ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (31 August 2009) RESPONSIBILITY Imagine a King stripped of his kingdom and his wealth… Imagine a dog attacking this king-turned-pauper… and NOW imagine, a passer-by greeting the king… What would we do if we were the king fleeing that fearful dog? Maybe we would not even pause to respond to the greeting. Maybe, we would curse the person for poking fun at our predicament. It is pertinent to note that a real King, (never mind the desperate situation) would accept the greeting with grace, befitting a King! A King is not a King because he is surrounded with wealth and power. A King needs to display consistent behaviour and unswerving attitude… This attitude is put to test in the various corridors we walk… a person responds differently to different people who might wish him, say, “Good Morning”. The response ranges from a dignified “Good Morning” to a benevolent senior… an energetic greeting to a close associate… to a blank look or an irritated snub to a person whom we abhor or dislike. Obviously, our response does not depend on us… It depends on who stands before us and on the situation that surrounds us… Not, so for a King! The response of a true King should be independent of situation or petty thinking… Such attitude is steadfast and full of conviction and a strong sense of responsibility. It is said so well that “responsibility” is the “ability” to give the right “response” irrespective of the stimulus or the situation. To BE BETTER at leading a glorious king-size life, Let’s display ‘responsibility’ even when in strife! - Pravin K. Sabnis Love Cricket? Check out live scores, photos, video highlights and more. Click here http://cricket.yahoo.com
[Goanet] Empty Cup – Monday-muse (17 Aug ’09)
- BOOK RELEASE: Medieval Goa by Teotonio R. de Souza Will be re-released after 30 years on August 21, 2009 at 5:15pm at Goa Chambers of Commerce and Industry Hall, near Azad Maidan in Panjim, Goa http://medieval-goa.notlong.com - MONDAY MUSE (17 August 2009) EMPTY CUP A young professor went to meet Nan-in to discuss Zen. The professor quizzed him on comparative philosophies and the Zen master gave some brief answers. However, when the professor began to debate with him on those answers, Nan-in stopped speaking and kept smiling at him. Eventually, the professor got angry, I have travelled a distance just to understand the relevance of Zen. But apparently you have nothing to say. In response, Nan-in offered tea to the professor. He kept pouring into his guest’s cup even when it was full. As the tea started spilling, the professor shouted, “the cup is full… no more tea will go in!” “Like this cup,” Nan-in said politely, “You are full of your own assumptions and presumptions. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?” It is pertinent to note that fresh learning cannot really happen until unlearning has happened. In our personal, professional and social life, we need to unlearn habits, prejudices and most importantly our “know-all-attitude” that prevents fresh learning. It is necessary to inculcate humility and an open-minded attitude in our quest to further our learning processes. Without the right attitude, it is not possible for us to acquire knowledge and skills. It is said so well, ‘Forget learning, learn forgetting’ ‘Empty the cup’ to BE BETTER at true unlearning! - Pravin K. Sabnis Looking for local information? Find it on Yahoo! Local http://in.local.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Big Stones – Monday-muse (10 Aug ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (10 August 2009) BIG STONES In the late 90s, while conducting training sessions on time management, I used to carry along a plastic jar. I would put stones, one by one, into the jar. Once the jar was filled to the top, I would ask the participants, “Is the jar full? Obviously, not yet! Then, some gravel was put in the jar, to occupy the space between the big stones. The exercise continued with putting sand into all the spaces left between the gravel. Lastly, water was poured in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then I would repeat the process in reverse, but in vain! Once the jar was full of water, some sand can go in but only after displacing some water… In the first scenario, nothing put in earlier was displace!! Gravel cannot go beyond the top surface of the wet sand… and as for the big stones they just won’t go in… if you use the force, either the stone will break or the jar will crack up. The natural truth this illustration teaches us is: “If you don't put the BIG STONES in first, you'll never get them in at all”. The BIG STONES are our principal priorities in life … our individuality, our family, our friends, our physical and mental health, our dreams, our cause … Remember to put these BIG STONES in first, or you will never get them in at all. If we sweat the little stuff and fill our life with little things, then we will never have the real quality time we need to spend on our most important priorities. And of course, all your principal priorities are equally important! Let’s hold on to the big stones in the jar of life, May we BE BETTER at connecting to the right priorities! - Pravin K. Sabnis Goa, India. Love Cricket? Check out live scores, photos, video highlights and more. Click here http://cricket.yahoo.com
[Goanet] Bad Word – Monday-muse (3 Aug ’09)
* G * O * A * N * E * T *** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * Sangath, www.sangath.com, is looking to build a centre for services, training and research and seeks to buy approx 1500 to 2000 sq mtrs land betweeen Mapusa and Bambolim and surrounding rural areas. Please contact: contac...@sangath.com or yvo...@sangath.com or ph+91-9881499458 http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2009-July/180028.html MONDAY MUSE (3 August 2009) BAD WORD Last week, a 2-day Youth Leadership Development Program – Carpe Diem – was organised by Goa Sudharop Community Development Inc. USA in collaboration with Fr Agnel College, Pilar. At the valedictory, the young chief guest, Fr Feroze Fernandes (editor – Vavradeacho Ixtt) chose to teach the students some new, modern ‘bad words’… and one such bad word was ‘good’! Fr Feroze spoke of how the word ‘good’ as a response was not good enough! So often when asked to evaluate something, we easily say ‘good’ and more often than not it probably means ‘not bad’ or it means that we may be opting to be politely untruthful. But if we really find it to be good, we are more likely to use better superlatives like ‘great’, ‘fantastic’, ‘superb’! But this miserliness with appropriate appreciation is not just a result of an indifferent or disinterested use of language. It reflects an attitudinal disconnect with the relevance and the consequence of positive reception towards the quality of excellence. The word, ‘Good’ symbolises a plateau… to peak, we need to ‘be better’! Hence, it will be prudent to treat ‘good’ as a bad word, and opt for more exuberance in our vocabulary and our outlook! In every situation that surrounds us, let’s strive to ‘be better’… with every person we meet, may our behaviour be better than ‘good’… may every response of us reflect our inner resolve to shake off apathy and rise above the chains of mediocrity… may we enlivened enough and proactively provoked to BE BETTER at our deed, thought and expression! Let’s rid our lexis of the bad word - ‘Good’… now, not later... In every act and response, may we strive to BE BETTER! - Pravin K. Sabnis Love Cricket? Check out live scores, photos, video highlights and more. Click here http://cricket.yahoo.com
[Goanet] Again Again – Monday-muse (27 Ju ly’09)
* G * O * A * N * E * T *** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * Sangath, www.sangath.com, is looking to build a centre for services, training and research and seeks to buy approx 1500 to 2000 sq mtrs land betweeen Mapusa and Bambolim and surrounding rural areas. Please contact: contac...@sangath.com or yvo...@sangath.com or ph+91-9881499458 http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2009-July/180028.html MONDAY MUSE (27 July 2009) AGAIN AND AGAIN A Zen story tells of a singer who ran off from his singing classes, overwhelmed by frustration. His strict teacher insisted that he rehearse day after day, month after month the same passage from the same song. When he went to another teacher to learn, he was asked to demonstrate his singing skill. He sang the same passage that he knew so well. His new teacher was impressed, “Son, you are already a master. There is nothing that I can teach you… you are already so proficient at singing.” He practiced so much that it became a part of him. So often we spread ourselves too thin by trying to do too many things at once. But mastering one thing at a time creates a solid foundation that we can then build on. A singular really impressive skill gives us the confidence to tackle other skills. The ability to practice is not only challenging and tiring, but mentally, can be very taxing. The rich Indian musical tradition has shown in so many ways that ‘riyaz’, (practice), not only helps develop skill; it also, empowers mind control in terms of patience, tolerance, endurance and focus. However, just practicing isn't enough. Our heart must be into what we are doing. Also, doing the same thing again and again is not enough to be better at doing it well. Practice doesn't make perfect – it depends on what we practice, how we practice! Perseverance needs to combine with conscious improvement while taking our abilities one step further. It is by falling again and again that the drop hollows the boulder... Perseverance helps to BE BETTER at rising above the shoulder! - Pravin K. Sabnis Yahoo! recommends that you upgrade to the new and safer Internet Explorer 8. http://downloads.yahoo.com/in/internetexplorer/
[Goanet] Room for Rumour – Monday-muse (20 Ju ly’09)
MONDAY MUSE (20 July 2009) ROOM FOR RUMOUR “Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”- G. B. Shaw Wednesday, July 22, 2009 will see the occurrence of the longest total solar eclipse of this century, which will not be surpassed in duration until June 13, 2132. A total solar eclipse is a spectacular natural phenomenon and many enthusiasts have already embarked on travel to locations where it is best visible. An airline has even discovered business opportunity by announcing a flight to view the eclipse from the sky. While the hype of the historical event has been in the public domain for a long time, a latest rumour has found greater attention. An e-mail doing the rounds warns coastal Asia of a tsunami triggered by the eclipse. Although mainstream scientists and media have already rejected this hypothesis, the rumour is swiftly gaining attention worldwide as an electronic chain letter. Doomsday prophets are going berserk with their unscientific predictions. A day of joy will now be a day of worry for the gullible. Our minds have room for rumour at the cost of critical thinking. While we are slow to apply our minds, we show urgency in giving credibility to a rumour. We easily acquire the irresponsible habit to forward information without verifying its authenticity. It is ironical that people who receive e-rumours do not use the same internet to verify its authenticity. Albert Einstein said it so well: “Information is not knowledge”. We must learn to sift facts from non-facts in the information we receive. We must be careful to ensure that non-factual rumours do not eclipse the real truth. To be better at escaping the stranglehold of rumours, we must develop the spirit of inquiry and investigation. No room for rumour, but lots for critical inquiring... That’s the way to BE BETTER at effective thinking! - Pravin Yahoo! recommends that you upgrade to the new and safer Internet Explorer 8. http://downloads.yahoo.com/in/internetexplorer/
[Goanet] LOL – Monday Muse (13 July 2009)
MONDAY MUSE (13 July 2009) LOL LOL is an acronym for ‘laugh out loud’ or ‘laughing out loud’. It is being increasingly used in internet and cellular textual communication. Although, some may also use it to mean ‘lots of love’, the majority would be using the abbreviation to indicate their expression of mirth. However, it is a matter of conjecture whether the person, who writes LOL as a response, is actually laughing out aloud or only saying so. Interestingly, ‘LOL’ as a native Dutch word means ‘fun’ while in Welsh, it means ‘nonsense’. But as an acronym it is open to as many meanings as laughter can have… it can express glee, joy, delight, amusement, contempt, sarcasm, scorn, ridicule, derision, etc, etc. hence, ‘LOL’ does not tell us of a singular, specific response. It is pertinent to note that e-communication can obscure real responses under generalized initializations. Surely it would be better to receive responses such as ‘that’s funny’ or ‘that’s not funny’ or ‘what’s so funny’ or ‘so that’s funny according to you’, so on and so forth instead of a repetitive ‘LOL’ which is open to different analysis. Exceptions would include cases when both persons on either side of the message are in tune with only one understanding of the term that is used. Acronyms are wonderful things as long as they are singular in meaning. After all, it is more important to express rather than impress. Our communication will be better if our responses do not get expressed in generalizations which may not reflect our real response. To BE BETTER at communicating our true feelings We must avoid expressions with multiple meanings :-) Pravin K. Sabnis Goa, India. Looking for local information? Find it on Yahoo! Local http://in.local.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Lantern – Monday-muse (6 July ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (6 July 2009) LANTERN In ancient Japan, while venturing into the dark night, people carried bamboo-and-paper lanterns with candles inside. One night, a host offered his blind visitor a lantern to carry home with him. The blind man declined saying, Darkness or light is all the same to me. The wise host persisted, I know you do not need a lantern to find your way, but if you don't have one, someone else may run into you. The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. Look out where you are going! he exclaimed to the stranger. Can't you see this lantern? Your candle has burned out, brother, replied the stranger. Now let’s recast the above characters. The blind man in the story is one of us. The stranger is a person who crosses our path. He could be a family member, a friend, a colleague, a customer or just a stranger. The lantern symbolises the persona we carry. The candle represents our dream, our vision. The path represents our life purpose, our mission… Quite often we are cocky about our capabilities and may be rightfully so. But, we need to understand that while the lantern we hold lights up our path, it also enlightens our way and walk to the ones who we meet enroute! Hence we must constantly revisit our dreams and vision to ensure that the lantern of our personality is consistently illuminated. To be better at getting to our aspiration, we must connect to our guiding vision every night, every day! To BE BETTER at overcoming the hurdles on the dark way Our vision-candle must burn in our lantern, every day! - Pravin K. Sabnis Yahoo! recommends that you upgrade to the new and safer Internet Explorer 8. http://downloads.yahoo.com/in/internetexplorer/
[Goanet] Luck? – Monday-muse (29 Jun’0 9)
MONDAY MUSE (29 June 2009) LUCK? Once, an old farmer’s old horse ran off into the hills. When, his neighbours sympathised with him over his bad luck, the farmer replied, 'Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?' A week later the horse returned with an imposing wild horse from the hills and this time the neighbours congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, 'Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?' The farmer's son fell off and broke his leg while attempting to tame the wild horse. Everyone thought this to be bad luck. But the farmer maintained the same reaction, 'Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?' A week later the army marched into the village and forcefully enlisted every able-bodied youth. However they let off the farmer's son due to his broken leg. Luck is said to be good if things go our way and bad if things go astray. But what seems good luck may actually turn bad and vice versa as well. So often, we hurry to attribute our so-called-luck to ridiculous reasoning. In fact, superstition arises from beliefs in luck being controlled by unseen forces, magical rituals and bizarre behaviour. Obviously, people who believe in luck tend to disconnect with pluck! People who can be described retrospectively as “lucky” actually generate their own success via the following tactics: They develop proactive skills to notice and create ‘chance’ opportunities. They make prudent decisions using imagination as intuition. They create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations. They adopt a resilient logical attitude to transform so called bad luck into good. Dynamic personalities do not bother too much about luck… they create their own “luck”! So often we pray for Good fortune to eclipse our Bad Luck… But to BE BETTER at scripting our destiny, let’s hold on to pluck! ICC World Twenty20 England #39;09 exclusively on YAHOO! CRICKET http://cricket.yahoo.com
[Goanet] Gratitude – Monday-muse (15 Jun ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (15 June 2009) GRATITUDE A Zen master’s school was in urgent need of repairs. A rich man generously donated five hundred ryo (gold pieces). However, after handing over the sack of gold, he was disappointed with the attitude of the teacher who did not thank him. Slyly he hinted, There are five hundred ryo in the sack. The master remained silent. Even if I am wealthy, five hundred ryo is a lot of money, the rich man persisted. The master calmly asked, Do you want me to thank you for it? Shouldn’t you? queried the donor. Why should I? retorted the master, The giver should be thankful. So often, when we give or share our riches, we hold on to the expectation of being thanked. In fact, appreciation as a prerequisite offsets even the most sincere of intentions and actions. It is a common human tendency and also the reason for grief and hurt when the receiver does not thank the giver. To be better at ‘giving’ we must break the fetters of expectation. Otherwise our otherwise noble action will turn into a bartered transaction. Generosity should not be combined with commerce-like hope of appreciation. The inner joy that should naturally follow a good deed is stifled by an unfilled expectation of reciprocal thanks-giving. Let’s instead be grateful at the joy that comes out of unconditional giving. To BE BETTER at the joyful-giving attitude… Let go of the expectation of stated gratitude! - Pravin K. Sabnis Goa, India. Explore and discover exciting holidays and getaways with Yahoo! India Travel http://in.travel.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] MURPHY’S LAW – Monday-muse (8 Jun’09)
MONDAY MUSE (8 June 2009) MURPHY’S LAW “If anything can go wrong, it will! – Murphy’s Law So often, when things go wrong, we use the crutches of what is popularly known as Murphy’s Law to justify unanticipated failure. Thus we shift the onus of responsibility from ourselves and condemn the fiasco to the vagaries of the unknown. Some call it fate, some call it bad luck and others may find a better word. But Murphy’s Law is really something else... This modern theory is credited to Capt. Murphy, an engineer at Edwards Air Force Base in 1949. One day, on finding a wrongly wired transducer, he cursed the technician responsible by saying, If there is any way to do it wrong, he'll find it. The project manager added it to his list of laws and called it Murphy's Law thus giving name to an ancient pessimism. However, the articulation of the negative was put to positive use by the Air Force. In fact, they went on to describe their good safety record as due to a firm belief in Murphy's Law and in the necessity to try and circumvent it. Aerospace manufacturers picked it up and used it widely in their ads during the next few months, and soon it became part of modern metaphor. Murphy’s Law is not about cynical logic about our perceived vulnerability. The law’s effectiveness is in first envisioning the most remote of possibilities for “things going wrong”, and taking remedial measures. While it is good to do the right things; to BE BETTER we must be able to anticipate what can go wrong. Doing so is termed risk analysis in planning parlance. Murphy’s law inspires us to BE BETTER at the affirmative… By the prediction and prevention of every possible negative! - Pravin K. Sabnis Goa, India. Own a website.Get an unlimited package.Pay next to nothing.*Go to http://in.business.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] The extra mile - Monday-muse (25 May ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (25 May 2009) THE EXTRA MILE ‘And my destination makes it worth the while Pushing through the darkness, still another mile’ - from the song ‘I have a dream’ by ABBA Quite often, trekking greenhorns despair about the length of the route. The regulars use two convincing suggestions to motivate the tenderfoot: First, the disheartened are reminded about the worth of the endeavour, by describing the charms of the destination. Next is the time tested motivation, “we are close… it is just a few more miles”! However, the real trekking buff’s auto suggestion for himself will be to keep going ‘yet another mile’. The enthusiast will not want to just cover the distance; he will want to go beyond the distance. The difference between ‘just one mile to go’ and ‘still another mile’ is exactly the distinction between a smaller, immediate goal and the larger destination of our dream… In the real world, an important principle of success in all walks of life, in all professions and all undertakings is the compliance of going the extra mile. Search as much as you will for a single sound argument against this principle and you will not find it, nor will you find a single instance of enduring success, which was not attained in part by its application. So let’s quiz ourselves: Do I do more than what I am expected to do? Do I render a better service than that for what I am paid? Do I walk the extra mile to my larger destination of my bigger dream? May our destination be dreams that are truly worthwhile to BE BETTER at every endeavour, let’s walk the extra mile… - Pravin K. Sabnis 25 May 2009, Goa, India. A life coach with a passion to connect people to their passion potential, PRAVIN K. SABNIS employs creative competencies in theatre trekking in his UNLEARNING UNLIMITED workshops conducted for leading corporate other groups. The MONDAY MUSE series (based on JCI-India’s annual theme) was started on the first Monday of the year 2004. Cricket on your mind? Visit the ultimate cricket website. Enter http://beta.cricket.yahoo.com
[Goanet] TEKISUI - Monday-muse (18 May’09)
MONDAY MUSE (18 May 2009) TEKISUI A Zen master asked his young disciple to bring him a pail of water for his bath. The student brought the water and, after filling the bath bucket, threw on to the ground the little water that was left over. The master scolded him, “Why didn’t you give the rest of the water to the plants? What right have you to waste even one drop of water?” The young student attained Zen in that instant. He changed his name to Tekisui, which means a drop of water. While the above moral would be apt for “save-water” campaigns, it holds within greater lessons for attitude towards resource management. We all know that it is the little drop of water that creates the ocean. Yet we tend to be wasteful and indiscriminate in our use of resources. We must learn to focus on waste reduction and alternate use. We must recognize the significance of what may seem insignificant. Every drop of water counts. We must introspect and evaluate our attitude which is reflected in the way we use every resource… be it materials, be it energy or be it human resource... To be better at managing any and every resource, we must be careful to not be careless with any Tekisui! The challenge is to live life less wastefully. The accountability is on us to look at the larger ownership of our world. Our rights to our resources come intertwined with the tag of responsibility. Ignoring the larger liability would result in nurturing our own peril. Let’s learn to deal with every Tekisui in a responsible manner. We would BE BETTER if we do not waste… any Tekisui at the altar of careless haste! - Pravin K. Sabnis 18 May 2009, Goa, India. Explore and discover exciting holidays and getaways with Yahoo! India Travel http://in.travel.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Sing a Song - Monday-muse (11 May’09 )
MONDAY MUSE (11 May 2009) SING A SONG My friend, Nirmesh Tyagi had a childhood dream to be a singer. Since his family was connected with the Hindi film fraternity, his talent was noticed early. However, offers to get him trained were let by. Years later, Nirmesh is discovering his happiness by singing at family occasions and opportunities at events of the JCI organisation, to which we both belong. It is interesting to note what Nirmesh does to be better at singing. He buys karaoke music and sings to the tune at home, his car and whenever and wherever he can. All this singing not only makes him better as a singer… it maintains him in a happy, proactive mood. And that is an important learning! There is an artist, a singer, a dancer, a story teller in all of us. But quite often our potential is unfairly condemned under our own expectation of its worthiness before an audience. It is foolish to compare ourselves with professionals. More importantly, the best of singers get better not by comparing themselves with the singing greats. Rather they get inspired by their icons to connect to the joy that comes from singing. Joe Raposo said it so well, “Sing out loud, Sing out strong… Sing, Sing a song, Make it simple, To last your whole life long, Don't worry that it's not good enough, For anyone else to hear, Sing, Sing a song.” Singing, painting, writing, et al are personal experiences as well. They give us happiness, satisfaction and more significantly a sense of focus on a positive way of looking at things. Our entire mental make up will be better if and when we sing… with or without karaoke music! After all, audience applaud the singer who externalises his personal connect with the happiness of singing… We would BE BETTER if we would sing… ‘cause singing is such an excellent thing! - Pravin K. Sabnis Bring your gang together. Do your thing. Find your favourite Yahoo! group at http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/
[Goanet] Remembering Frank Fernand
Many of us have been huge fans of Frank Fernand's music... He was born on 3 May 1919 at Curchorem My AV tribute to the Great Goan was my first amateur attempt at movie-maker based on a script by Isidore Dantas and family photos sent by Frank's daughters Doris, Elfin Larissa Check it out on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qicwF5kli6A Bollywood news, movie reviews, film trailers and more! Go to http://in.movies.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Rock - Monday-muse (4 May’09)
MONDAY MUSE (4 May 2009) ROCK For many years, a farmer had ploughed around a large rock in his field. He would curse the rock, every time he damaged his plough on it. Though he tried to be better at avoiding the rock, he managed to break yet another plough, one day. Remembering all the trouble the rock had caused him through the years, he finally decided to do something about it. When he put the crowbar under the rock, he was surprised to discover that it was only about six inches thick and that he could break it up easily with a sledgehammer. As he was carting the pieces away he also carried the smile of realisation how easy it would have been to get rid of that rock sooner… if he had only tried! We know of how the stream defeats the rock with its persistence… how the drop hollows the rock with constant falling... how the stone cutter with determined chiselling gives shape to huge rocks. But, perseverance would never happen if one did not choose to try. And the reality is that most rocks in our route may not be as big or as tough as we imagine them to be. But we would only know when we try! Most of the time, the hurdles in our path seem larger just because we dread the bigger obstacles. But, those who are seized by the passion, to overcome every obstacle, find that not all rocks in their course are overwhelming. Somebody who shirks from preliminary effort would find the simplest of tasks to seem overpowering. It is said well that “never give up until you try”… The rock in our way may not be what it appears Let’s BE BETTER at overcoming failure fears… - Pravin K. Sabnis 4 May 2009, Goa, India. Now surf faster and smarter ! Check out the new Firefox 3 - Yahoo! Edition http://downloads.yahoo.com/in/firefox/?fr=om_email_firefox
[Goanet] Carrying? - Monday-muse (27 Apr’09 )
MONDAY MUSE (27 April 2009) CARRYING? One of my favourite Zen Stories tells the tale of two monks travelling together. As usual, they walked in deep silence. They came across a shallow spring on the way. A lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash was standing there, obviously worried about spoiling her clothes while crossing the stream. One of the monks lifted her in his arms and carried her over the stream. His companion was shocked with his colleague’s act of sacrilege. Yet, he maintained his silence until the night when they halted to rest. Now he could no longer restrain himself. “We monks have sworn not to touch women,” he burst out, “Yet how could you carry her?” The first monk replied peacefully, “I left that girl on the other side of the stream. It is you who still carries her in your mind!” So often we hold on to thoughts that are irrelevant in the larger scope of the situation. So often we carry emotions which are nothing but a burden that weighs heavy on us. So often we hold on so tight to past experiences that we fail to understand that those very experiences hold us in a tighter vice that chokes progressive thinking. It seizes our mind and clouds our perspective. It is said so well by someone, “forget learning, learn forgetting”. We need to let go the unnecessary if we want to move on in life. For every harvested crop of experience, we need to be better at sifting the grain of understanding from the chaff of misapprehension and misinterpretation. Let’s learn to let go of the superfluous and hold on to the more significant aspects of life. To BE BETTER at moving ahead in life… let’s let go of irrelevant mental strife! - Pravin K. Sabnis 27 April 2009, Goa, India. Explore your hobbies and interests. Go to http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/
[Goanet] View with a Zoom - Monday-muse (6 Apr ’09)
Remembering Aquino Braganca (b. 6 April 1924), who fought for freedom of the former Portuguese colonies in Africa. An online tribute http://aquinobraganca.wordpress.com/ (includes many historical references, some photographs and documents) MONDAY MUSE (6 April 2009) VIEW WITH A ZOOM In less than ten minutes, the 1977 short film Powers of Ten depicts the relative scale of things in the Universe using factors of ten. The film, made by Ray and Charles Eames, is an adaptation of the 1957 book Cosmic View by Kees Boeke. It begins with a view from one meter above (100) of a man resting on a blanket. The camera then slowly zooms out to a view ten meters above (101) to show that the man is at a picnic in a park. The camera further pans to a view of 100 meters (102) to show that the picnic is taking place on Chicago's lakefront. Further on we see on the way the views of Lake Michigan, our earth, our solar system, the Milky Way… the zoom continuing to a view of 1024 meters - the size of the observable universe. The camera then zooms back to the man's hand and moves on to zoom into views of negative powers of ten -10−1 m (10 centimeters), and so forth. The zoom moves the range from the surface of the skin to the inside right up to the proton in a carbon atom at 10−16 meter. The film thus travels two extreme extents of our universe. However, the lessons from the film go beyond the attempt to understand the universe… they guide us on how to be better at understanding our situation. We need to travel the journey between the larger-picture and the smaller-picture to see ourselves and our situation from a perspective that moves from a wide-angle outlook to a deeper insight. It is only such perspectives that will help us comprehend the larger vision and the minute intricacies of the situation that surrounds us. To BE BETTER at understanding our situation… let’s learn to zoom to the powers of ten’s vision! - Pravin Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/
[Goanet] Understanding - Monday-muse (30 Mar’ 09)
MONDAY MUSE (30 March 2009) UNDERSTANDING Last Thursday, poetry films were screened at the International Centre, Goa. In the discussion that followed a couple of youngsters candidly expressed their inability to understand all the films. So often, so many of us believe that we do not possess the ability to “understand” works of creativity like poetry, paintings, films, plays, etc. And hence we find a ‘disconnect’ with creative arts, music, dance, politics, technology… the list can go on and on! But do we ‘understand’ everything we indulge in? Let’s take the case of our major national craze – cricket! Most of us would not ‘understand’ the difference between a googly and a chinaman or between swing and reverse swing. The spectators of cricket or so many other sports enjoy the game for various other reasons like the excitement of competitiveness, the face-off between brute strength and skilful grace, etc. Before we ‘understand’, we have to ‘experience’. Edisononce stated that the thought of understanding comes from the two simple words under and stand. Hence it is necessary to undergo new experiences with an open mind and ‘stand’ within that experience for a sufficient period so as understanding to occur. The more we ‘stand under’ a happening, we will be better at comprehending the facets of that experience. We were all born to ‘understand’ but we are conditioned to believe that ‘understanding’ is a talent that is belongs to a select few. As babies we could appreciate colour, shapes, sound and movements because we would approach everything with an open mind and an inquisitive approach. After all, for each of the things we understand over the years… the lesson is simple: we learnt to crawl, before we could walk and run. ‘Understanding’ is not a consequence of inborn aptitude… We need to BE BETTER at keeping an open attitude! - Pravin Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/
[Goanet] The uncertainty of Death - Monday-muse (23 M ar’09)
MONDAY MUSE (23 March 2009) THE UNCERTAINTY OF DEATH Some stories that we read in our childhood seem meaningful much later in life. One such story told the predicament of a young man seized by an existential dilemma. He felt life was futile since death was not in his control. He believed that anything initiated by him could be in vain if death were to make its uninvited appearance. He wondered in the wisdom of living under the sword of uncertainty of death. Eventually, the young man decided to commit suicide. As he walked to the cliff (he intended to jump off) his mind’s eye began looking back at his life. He revisited his various experiences from childhood to the present. He still had not reached the cliff, so his mind moved to the future. He began visualising the reactions of people to his death. His imagination projected a common response, “Look, he has killed himself!” The young man realised that his demise would be of his own choice, by his own method and at his own selected time and place. He immediately realised that he had a possible control over his death. The thought exposed him to a wider consciousness that the glorious uncertainties of life were more empowering than the destabilising uncertainty of death. He turned back from his tracks and moved on to take head-on the challenges of life… and death! So often, we give up on doing things we like to do just because we are convinced of the certainty of failure. Surely this is similar to giving up on life, just because death is a certainty. It is necessary for us to understand that we can be the ones who fail ourselves. It is this succumbing to failure that must make way for steady resolve. Let’s not worry too much about failure or death and the uncertainties that surround them. We must connect to our passion and purpose in life. It is on this very day that Bhagat Singh died at the age of 23. Alexander died at the age of 32 years. Mozart died at the age of 35. Swami Vivekananda died at the age of 39. Let’s learn from the many examples of people who were able to live worthwhile lives, despite dying young. Bhagat Singh wrote, “Jeena hai tho marna seekho yaaro”. (to live we need to learn to die) Do not surrender to death before its coming… Let’s BE BETTER at empowering our living! - Pravin K. Sabnis 23 March 2009, Goa, India. Check out the all-new Messenger 9.0! Go to http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] Forte - Monday-muse (23 Feb’09)
MONDAY MUSE (23 February 2009) FORTE The Marathi film, “Majhi Goshta” (My Story) was screened on last Friday at the International Centre, Goa. The film reveals the travails and the travel of a schizophrenic patient who gets timely help and guidance to discover his self-actualisation in music. The screening was followed by a discussion with acclaimed actor and psychiatrist, Dr Mohan Agashe. During the discussion, a lady raised a very pertinent point… Films like Taare Zameen Par and Mhaji Goshta generally tend to show protagonists overcoming the handicaps of dyslexia and schizophrenia due to possessing talents like painting or music. She wondered whether this would convey rare exceptions as a rule and hence create a wrong impression in the minds of the audience. In response to the query, Agashe chose to show another movie – a one-minute animation film made as part of a contest in Chennai. The movie showed a handicapped person being asked about his forte. The questioner was consistent in hurling his queries… Can you paint? Can you sing? Can you do something special? Each time the answer was a humble “no” till the person at the receiving end turned around and asked, “Can you (do any of the things you expect me to do)?” Too often, we insist that our children, subordinates and others should be extraordinary personalities with gifted specialities. Looking around, we will notice that it is not the people with the best talents or techniques who make a huge difference, but it is the people with the right temperament. We need to be better (at inculcating in ourselves and encouraging in others) the real forte - the right attitude! And the right attitude is one that ensures a developmental approach rather than a judgemental one. Do not fret and frown at the handicap of a lesser aptitude… Genuine forte is to BE BETTER at empowering a noble attitude! - Pravin K. Sabnis Cricket on your mind? Visit the ultimate cricket website. Enter http://beta.cricket.yahoo.com
[Goanet] Patch of Humour - Monday-muse (9 Feb ’09)
MONDAY MUSE (9 February 2009) A PATCH OF HUMOUR A woman had a below-knee amputation as a result of having diabetes and smoking all of her life. When she was regaining consciousness in the Recovery Unit, her doctor-son smiled at her and said ‘Well mum, how does it feel to have one leg in the grave?’ She laughed out loud. Till the day she died, she told that story to her friends and each time, she laughed again. The son, Dr. Patch Adamsis an inspirational icon who has changed the despair of his patients with his cheerful clowning! Convinced of the powerful connection between environment and health, he employed many creative ways in using humour to bring hope and healing to his patients... including dressing up like a clown and decorating the patient’s bed with colourfull balloons. Along with friends, Patch founded a model happy hospital – the Gesundheit Institute – where the pain of patients is treated with a patch of humour. Humour helps because smiling and laughing triggers the secretions of morphine-like chemicals known as endorphins. Endorphins strengthen the immune system (responsible for fighting disease and enhancing recovery), reduce pain, and relax the body. Humour also works because it distracts people from their worries and pain and it restores perspective. Humour doesn’t alter the situation, but it helps you to cope with the pain. Surely, we can learn from the example of Dr. Patch Adams. Surely we can “be better” at facing every despair with a genuine display of care and humour. Surely we can spread cheer and hope by lifting the spirits of those who seem to have succumbed to the situation. And of course, we must start with our own selves by seeing the positives in every problem that seizes us! To BE BETTER at taking every hindrance head-on We must choose to sing the positive humour song… - Pravin K. Sabnis 9 February 2009, Goa, India. A life coach with a passion to connect people to their passion potential, PRAVIN K. SABNIS employs creative competencies in theatre trekking in his UNLEARNING UNLIMITED workshops conducted for leading corporate other groups. The MONDAY MUSE series (based on JCI-India’s annual theme) was started on the first Monday of the year 2004. Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/
[Goanet] Rage Control - Monday-muse (2 Feb’09 )
RAGE CONTROL An ancient Zen story tells the tale of a young man who easily succumbed to the emotion of anger. The aftermath of his uncontrollable fury would leave him regretting his words, actions and behaviour. He wished to control his unruly rage and went seeking solution from a renowned Zen Master. On meeting the Master, he complained: Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it? The Master calmly replied, You have something very strange. Can I see what you have? The young man was stunned with the bizarre request. He replied, “But Master, I am not angry, right now… hence I cannot show it to you. The master persisted, so when can you show it to me? The young man responded, My anger arises unexpectedly. I cannot say when it might seize me again…” Immediately, the wise man proclaimed, then surely, it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time. To BE BETTER at overcoming and managing the emotion of anger, we must first accept responsibility and then take control of our thoughts and behaviour. So often we delude ourselves by believing that negative behavioural traits are habits that cannot be overwhelmed. But we need to remind ourselves, that restraining rage is just like controlling any other destructive habit. Like other habits, we have acquired it… and like other habits it can be unlearnt. It is we who picked up rage as just another regressive habit… To BE BETTER at being in control, it is we who must drop it! From Chandigarh to Chennai - find friends all over India. Go to http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/citygroups/
[Goanet] Lawn - Monday-muse (19 Jan’09)
* G * O * A * N * E * T C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * ANKA SERVICES For all your Goa-based media needs - Newspapers and Electronic Media Newspaper Adverts, Press Releases, Press Conferences www.ankaservices.com kam...@ankaservices.com MONDAY MUSE (19 January 2009) LAWN The best of institutional edifices are enhanced by the relief of lush green lawns. A visitor to one such exciting creation was so impressed by the meticulously maintained lawns that he insisted on meeting the gardener who looked after the lawns. When asked by the visitor of the secret behind the lawn, the wise gardener replied, 'The first part is difficult… levelling the land as per design, choosing and adding the right top soil, arranging the drainage and other things that are available in books. The second part is simple and easy… we need to just regularly mow the lawn, weed it and water it. Keep doing that and you get a lawn that continues to be like this.' What is true for the lawn is true for every endeavour for excellence. So often, we give our best while creating something. We manage the difficult part but falter at the easy part. Well begun, it is said, is half done. But if we do not keep the consistency, our best start can be undone. Consistency is the hall mark of the real achievers. For they keep working to maintain a positive attitude and approach to the things they start. They buttress their vision with a mind-set of mission and the ability to be both, dogged and diligent. Steadfastness holds the key to greater successes. Persistence is a value that ensures that we can BE BETTER at optimising a good start. No lawn can remain beautiful without a gardener’s sense of mission… To BE BETTER we must back initiative with dedicated determination! - Pravin K. Sabnis 19 January 2009, Goa, India. A life coach with a passion to connect people to their passion potential, PRAVIN K. SABNIS employs creative competencies in theatre trekking in his UNLEARNING UNLIMITED workshops conducted for leading corporate other groups. The MONDAY MUSE series (based on JCI-India’s annual theme) was started on the first Monday of the year 2004. Check out the all-new Messenger 9.0! Go to http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/
[Goanet] The Bell - Monday-muse (12 Jan’09)
* G * O * A * N * E * T C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * ANKA SERVICES For all your Goa-based media needs - Newspapers and Electronic Media Newspaper Adverts, Press Releases, Press Conferences www.ankaservices.com kam...@ankaservices.com MONDAY MUSE (12 January 2009) THE BELL Zen stories have been a big favourite with me. They highlight profound truth in very few words. One story tells of a new student seized by a sincere desire to learn. At the very first meeting with his master, he asked how he should prepare himself for his training. Think of me a bell, the master explained. Give me a soft tap, and you will get a tiny ping. Strike hard and you'll receive a loud, resounding peal. Life is like that. To make the most of it, we must give it our all. We need to be unbridled in our attitude and make the most of every prospect that comes our way. Somebody said it so well, “If it is going to be, it is up to me.” So the next time, we see the bell of opportunity, let’s realise that our strike will decide the resonance. To BE BETTER at striking the bell of potential expectation… Let’s remember that it is we who control the reverberation! - Pravin K. Sabnis 12 January 2009, Goa, India. A life coach with a passion to connect people to their passion potential, PRAVIN K. SABNIS employs creative competencies in theatre trekking in his UNLEARNING UNLIMITED workshops conducted for leading corporate other groups. The MONDAY MUSE series (based on JCI-India’s annual theme) was started on the first Monday of the year 2004. Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/
[Goanet] Goa's own Asatyam: Mining Terrorists
There is a web of deceit and lies being spun by the mining terrorists and their hired goondas... GAKUVED invites you to express solidarity with Researcher blogger Seby Rodrigues and human rights lawyer Journalist Adv. John Fernandes on 12th January 2009, Monday 4.30 pm onwards T B Cunha Hall, Panaji, Goa Let's join our hands and voices to save Goa's waters, lands and people... You must read http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2009/01/fomentos-claim-rs500-crores-as-damages.html http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2008/12/human-rights-lawyer-john-fernandes.html http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/2008/11/stop-mining-terrorism-in-goa-now.html Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/
[Goanet] Remembering - Monday-muse (5 Jan’09 )
* * * * * * * * * ANNUAL GOANETTERS MEET * * * * * * * * * Goanetters in Goa and visiting meet Jan 6, 2009 at 3.30 pm at Hotel Mandovi (prior to the Goa Sudharop event, which you're also welcome to). Join in for a Dutch dinner -- if we can agree on a venue after the meet. RSVP (confirmations only) 9822122436 or 2409490 or f...@goa-india.org MONDAY MUSE (5 January 2009) REMEMBERING The film “Ghajini” delves into a case of anterograde amnesia. The memory of the hero is reduced to a recall of just fifteen minutes, following a violent attack by the killers of his girlfriend. To avenge the past as well as remember his present-day plan, the protagonist uses memory pegs in terms of Diaries, Polaroid photo-images, permanent tattoos on his torso, scribbled notes and memory alerts on his mobile. While the film takes creative liberty to tell its tale of fiction, it has a lesson for us… Consider our own predicament. There are times when we are seized with a passion and a mission to respond to a challenging situation. It could be a brazen terrorist strike… or a shameful act of corruption… or the murder of humanity in a communal riot… or an exploit of exploitation… or a criminal lapse in governance! But, as time passes our noble intentions begin to detach from our consciousness… we suffer from memory loss of our own cause… Righteous intentions need to be guarded against loss of focus… Like the protagonist in the film, we need to use memory pegs… We need to maintain dairies that account for what we are thinking, what we are doing and what we are going through… We must document our dreams and plans through notes, sketches, photographs, blogs, etc… We must surround ourselves with knowledge resources like books, quotations, vision and mission statements, and the like. Amnesia patients may have no choice but to prop up their memory with methods and mechanisms… But for the rest of us, “remembering” is about making a choice… We can choose to remember what we believe in or we can choose to forget to walk our own talk…It is all about putting in the crucial extra effort to fasten our thoughts, plans and actions with the glue of a convergent memory… To BE BETTER at remembering what we tend to forget… Peg in extra effort today, lest the future be one of regret! - Pravin K. Sabnis 5 January 2009, Goa, India. A life coach with a passion to connect people to their passion potential, PRAVIN K. SABNIS employs creative competencies in theatre trekking in his UNLEARNING UNLIMITED workshops conducted for leading corporate other groups. The MONDAY MUSE series (based on JCI-India’s annual theme) was started on the first Monday of the year 2004. Connect with friends all over the world. Get Yahoo! India Messenger at http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/?wm=n/
[Goanet] Manoharrai Sardessai Lecture Series
* * * * * * * * * ANNUAL GOANETTERS MEET * * * * * * * * * Goanetters in Goa and visiting meet Jan 6, 2009 at 3.30 pm at Hotel Mandovi (prior to the Goa Sudharop event, which you're also welcome to). Join in for a Dutch dinner -- if we can agree on a venue after the meet. RSVP (confirmations only) 9822122436 or 2409490 or f...@goa-india.org Noted Film-maker, Lyricist Gulzar will speak at the Late Manoharrai Sardessai Lecture Series on Friday, 9 January 2009 5.30 pm sharp at Maquinez Palace (Old GMC Complex, next to Panaji Market) You are cordially invited. Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now, on http://help.yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html/
[Goanet] New Year Resolutions - Monday-muse (29 Dec 08)
MONDAY MUSE (29 December 2008) NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS As the year 2008 moves to its end, a familiar ritual will make its annual appearance in our lives – the ritual of making New Year resolutions…the most popular resolutions range from breaking of flawed habits to the pledge to inculcate desirable habits, from putting the bulge in to bringing the biceps out, from vows of self improvement to socio-centric commitments, from pledges to become more economically or environmentally responsible to charity towards the disadvantaged… Though born of innocent intent, most resolutions remain unfulfilled or abandoned by the very minds that conjure them. Hence, for many of us, the process is just moving through a mechanical ritual. Therefore it is prudent to give up the meaningless practice or we need to re-invent our attitude and approach to what is essentially a well meaning exercise. It is pertinent for our resolution to have “RESOLVE” which must translate into an action plan. It is not enough to know where one wants to go… we must also chalk out the path to get there. The larger destination needs to be seen as a link of lesser goals. Only then we would be able to recognize partial successes at every step along the way. Just as a resolution isn't realised the day it's made, neither is it realised the day we reach our goal. It is accomplished in small wins along the way. The execution of the action plan to realise the resolution that we make defines ground-zero. Simply put, New Year is not the only time to make resolutions… rather, every moment that flags off the journey to fulfil a worthy resolve, heralds the beginning of a New Year in our lives. Anais Nin said it so well, “I make no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and moulding my life, is too much of a DAILY event for me!” New Year is the moment when we choose to walk the path of transformation, to BE BETTER at fulfilling every resolve we need dedication determination… - Pravin 29 December 2008, Goa, India. Since 2004, the MONDAY MUSE series (based on JCI-India’s annual theme) is penned by PRAVIN SABNIS - a life coach with a passion to connect people to their passion potential. He employs creative competencies in theatre trekking in his UNLEARNING UNLIMITED workshops conducted for leading corporate other groups. Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/
[Goanet] Introspection - Monday-muse (22 Dec 08)
MONDAY MUSE (22 December 2008) INTROSPECTION This Monday Muse is triggered by the recent statement of Goa’s Chief Minister that recommends introspection to his citizens. Clearly, he is distressed by the opposition to projects by increasingly vigilant and vocal villagers. If the Government were to introspect itself, it would be unambiguous that rather than blind opposition to development, the voices are of concern for the land, lives and livelihoods – all under attack by a planning process fuelled by greed rather than the need of the people One of the most effective lessons is that “lessons are not meant to be taught, they are meant to be learnt.” Introspection is one knowledge process that stipulates personal initiative rather than be a diagnosis for somebody else. The results of introspection are liberating in terms of the widened perspective of understanding the situation and our role-connection to that very situation. The word itself is derived from the Latin term of introspicere which literally means to look inside. It is the self-observation of our own reasoning and behaviour. It involves reflection on the impact of our thoughts and actions on others as well as ourselves. However, introspection that only remains inward looking tends to be selfish. We must utilise its value as a valid tool for the development of scientific hypotheses and options and find effective results in practice for goal-oriented functional challenges Imagine a traveller on a journey. Introspection would include looking at the path covered (past), the location as of now (the present) and the road ahead (the future). Introspection will involve looking at our original intentions, our actions and the impact of them on ourselves, our thinking and also on the situation that surrounds us. The most important thing to remember is that introspection is a personal exercise as well as a personal initiative. And hence it involves taking ownership as well as responsibility of what we are and where we find ourselves. Rather than insist that others do it, it would be better if we involved in introspection ourselves! It is so easy to indulge in sterile extrospection To BE BETTER, we must involve in introspection… - Pravin-da 22 December 2008, Goa, India. Since 2004, the MONDAY MUSE series (based on JCI-India’s annual theme) is penned by PRAVIN SABNIS - a life coach with a passion to connect people to their passion potential. He employs creative competencies in theatre trekking in his UNLEARNING UNLIMITED workshops conducted for leading corporate other groups. Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/
[Goanet] is the Goa police on leash of the Mining Terrorists?
Is the Goa Police crawling when asked to bend by the Mining Terrorists? After the series of unconstitutional, immoral actions over the past few months against peaceful protestors, the Goa Police seems to be exactly on the side of the outlaws Today the Quepem Police lathi charged and beat up anti-mining protestors and arrested seven persons (one was picked up from his house) Shame! - Pravin Sabnis Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/
[Goanet] Mining: Police Lathi Charge in Ambaulim, 7 villagers arrested
Police assaults lawyer Adv. John Fernandes Seven School students beaten by police violence Franky Rebello hit by Police lathi on head In a continuing saga of Police violence on peacefully agitating anti-mining agitators Goa Police today added one more feather of shame in their kitty. Today December 17, 2008 Goa Police unleashed terror on agitating Ambaulim villagers yet again. It is indeed remarkable precurser to Goa Liberation Day - that is about to come after just couple of days on December 19 - one is remined of Notorious Portuguese Colonial Police Officer MONTEIRO. At 8.30 am today morning Ambaulim villagers blocked road of the mining trucks at Deao. At 9.30 Quepem mamlatdar came to the spot and he accepted memorandum demanding stoppage of dust pollution and stoppage of overloaded trucks on their village road. A week ago villagers had submitted the memorandum to the authorities but they turned the blind eye on the villagers' demand as mining companies carries more weight in the eyes of the administration. Villagers were left with no option but to come out on the road. At 11.30 am a Goa Armed Police van filled with police reached to the venue along with the Quepem dyputy collector Venancio Furtado. After some heated arguments with the Deputy collector, villagers moved away from the road. Just then, according to an eyewitness one villager told deputy collector that his children will be cursed in case he used police violence on the villagers. This allegedly infuriated the deputy collector and he used this as pretext to order police to lathi charge. During the lathi charge process one villager Franky Rebello was hit on his head before he was arrested. 45-year-old woman Remiz Fernandes was violently drag on the road by police. Laywer Adv. John Fernandes was hit twice with lathis on his back. Police tried to arrest him on the spot but all the three police attempt to do so was foiled by the courageous women protesters who counter attacked the police and rescued Adv. John Fernandes On one occasion police chased Adv. John Fernandes the distance of 100 meters in sprint style. Seven school students who were also protesting against mining were also violently assaulted by Police personnel. Arrested people from the spot of lathi charge includes William Luis, Satulin Luis, Fatima Fernandes, Franky Rebello, Glen Rebello, Diego Fernandes besides Anton Jose Fernandes who was arrested from his home after the lathi charge. Police were searching people's houses to effect more arrests from Ambaulim village in Quepem Taluka when reports last came in at around 4. pm. Terror tactics are seen as last ditch desperate attempts to silence the increasingly vociferous people of Goa. Now it is terror square - mining terror and police terror combine. Sebastian Rodrigues http://www.mandgoa.blogspot.com/ Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/
