Podcast S1 E12: The 10th Apple

 Hi and a warm hello from Lost in Labyrinth. We are a family of 160 subscribers now and it gives me immense pleasure and sense of purpose. So thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I am about to narrate a short story to you before I arrive on today's topic. Some of you may have heard this before but still...Once a professor asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. The students, caught off guard by the sudden announcement, started waiting anxiously for the test to begin making some last minute revisions. The professor in the meantime took out some sheets of paper from his bag and started arranging them with text facing down. Once the sheets were distributed to all the professor asked them to begin. To everyone's surprise there were no questions, just a little black dot somewhere at the bottom of the page. The professor, then said, "I want you to write what you see there." The students were confused, shared muddled glances with one another and then got to the task at hand. At the end of the stipulated time, the professor collected all the sheets and begin reading them aloud one after the other. All of the students, without an exception wrote about the black dot and its position on the paper. After reading the last of the paper, the professor now said, " I am not going to grade you on this paper, but want you all to think about this! All of you wrote about the black dot on the paper. Not one wrote about white. And this is exactly what we do with our lives. Our lives is just like the white paper and yet we always focus on the black. " He continued, " When you look at life, look at the white- the positives, the good, the blessings and cherish them. And you will have so many things in the life to be grateful for! " 

Gratitude is what helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. However it's easier said than done! Even if we chose to look at the positives, how often are we grateful for what we have? 

Do you remember the thrill of getting that first car by your parents or when you received that first remote like cell phone or for me my first branded shades? It was unmatched! But over the time as our needs, our luxury changed our attitude towards receiving or acquiring things changed. At least for me, I can't recall the last time I felt that kind of kick or a thrill I felt then.    A couple of days ago someone very dear to me shared with me a story of a 10th apple. And I have to share it with you...A hunter once lost his way in the forest chasing a deer. For three days he could neither find his way out nor could he find something to eat. On the third day when he suddenly discovered a fully laden apple tree his joy knew no bounds. He was so grateful to the God, to the universe for looking after him and quickly collected a few. When he bit into the first apple he was ecstatic, rejoicing with joy. He had never tasted an apple so sweet! Upon finishing the first, he hurriedly started on second and then third. The third apple was not as sweet. The sweetness of the apple along with his appetite and gratefulness had reduced drastically by the time he reached the 10th apple. 

In economics it is called the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility and in life it is called the Law of Diminishing Gratefulness! How often do we display our thankfulness for people, things or experiences that makes our life brighter, things that make our lives better? " A prophet is not honored in his own country"  or more commonly heard, ghar ki murgi daal barabar! Though the expression is quite loosely used the emotion behind it is quite understated. 

The Western world celebrates Thanksgiving for this sole intention, to profess their appreciation for friends, family. As for Hindus gratitude is exalted as one of the most important virtues. The simple act of offering bhog/prasadam everyday to the deity before the family sits down to eat is nothing but expressing thanks for being provided with food. It is a way of life!

My point here is don't make these things ritualistic. Embrace them in its true spirit! And as for people, family- don't take them for granted. I am sure all of us can think of times when you snubbed your parents, your siblings or your partner for disturbing you in course of a busy day. No one can be perfect and things like these happen. But did you make it up for them somehow? Some special gesture?? It is that after thought which is lacking but very important. Our lives are worth living because of these special people so often taken for granted, often making them our punching bags instead!

So my dear listeners focus on the white and people who make it white for us! Appreciate their presence, make them feel special time and again. Be more grateful and less entitled and that makes all the difference. Importantly, instill this feeling in children! 

As someone rightly put,

" Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for abundance. "

I have been truly grateful to you all for your love and time on Lost in Labyrinth. Your guidance and comments have been very enriching for me on this journey. And I shall always cherish that! This is the close of Season 1 for me! With your blessings I shall soon return... Untill then wishing you a grateful and fruitful week ahead! 

Goodbye!

Podcast S1 E11: Revel in Rivalry

 Hi and a big thank you for your time on Lost in Labyrinth.

Recently I read something that brought to effect a changed perspective. It is quite intriguing to me and I have often been surprised by how influences come from the most unlikely of places. In 2007 I read a masterpiece " Freakonomics" co-authored by economist Steve Levitt and New York Times journalist Stephen J Dubner. The book had me at the prologue. The book opens on the discussion of surging crime rates in US for about three decades between 1960s to 1990s. Even the most pessimistic estimate stated that the crime rates would double. Everyone was scared. The Republicans and Democrats agreed alike that violent crimes are out of hand and the criminals are only getting younger. They tried everything in their power- better policing, reintroduction of capital punishment, boasting a strong economy, or demise of crack epidemic to check this menace but failed miserably. But in early 1990s, to everyone's amazement, somehow the numbers started dwindling. But what lead to this unprecedented and wildly unexpected turnaround? A theory that surfaced was quirky but had great explanatory power. You see, the US Supreme Court legalized abortion in all 50 states that lead to sharp decline in unwanted pregnancies. These abortions resulted in plunging numbers of uncared for, uneducated youth which were more drawn to these criminal activities. Surprising isn't it but probable, hell yeah!! 

In one of my previous episodes 'Stamping Lives' I narrated how we are caught up in the circle of influence-both receiving and imparting...sharing my experiences as a parent. 

We Hindus observed Janmashtmi recently and it was on this occasion I read the following that changed my world view significantly.

While the battle of Kurukshetra was at its peak, Arjun and Karan were fighting each other ferociously. As the legend goes, the flurry of arrows were being exchanged and even the gods were witnessing this epic battle between the two warriors. Arjun would shoot his arrows and impact was such that Karan's chariot would be pushed back by 25-30 feet. Karan was no less. When he shot his arrow the chariot of Arjun would be pushed back too for about a couple of feet. Every time Karan's arrow hit Arjun's chariot, Krishna would applaud Karan wholeheartedly. Not once in the whole battle he complimented Arjun for his performance. Puzzled at the end of the day, Arjun asked, " O Lord, I shot so many arrows that displaced Karan's chariot like a feather in the wind, but not once you appreciated. While when Karan moved my chariot only a little you showered him so generously with your praise?" Krishna smiled and replied, " Dear Arjun remember your chariot is protected by Hanuman on the flag at the top. You have me as a the charioteer in the front and Sheshnaag at the wheels. And yet when valiant Karan would hit us the chariot would get inched away. On the other hand Karan is fighting audaciously on his own."  This made Arjun realise he had to fight with the best of what he got. It is said that after the battle of Kurukshetra was over, Krishna refused to alight the chariot before Arjun. Once Krishna got off the chariot was up in flames and was soon reduced to dust. 

Ever felt, how sometimes your adversary, influences your action and challenges you in a fashion that is very stimulating. Often we carry a negative emotion towards people we feel impugn us. And yet they drive us to excel. 

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates is the closest example I can think of. They were starkly different personalities united in their love for technology. Their 'frenemy' relationship time and again proved how your nemesis can be your biggest driving force. Jobs mentioned Gates as someone with a bad taste who was not good in getting creative ideas and going in minor details. Whereas Bill Gates looked down upon Steve Jobs for being arrogant and his inability to do coding. However their love for technology was so great that when Apple was sinking it was funding from Bill Gates that caused Apple to rebound. Gates has been public with his remark that Steve Jobs is a visionary and really inspires him!

The world of sports is replete with such examples. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are not only the closest of buddies but have a great mutual admiration for one another. The couple have fought each other for 16 years on the ATP tour and are just one Grand Slam title apart on top of all-time list.  Austrian racer Nikki Lauda and British F1 driver James Hunt is another glorious instance. 

So my dear listeners, I today share with you this most recent lesson into respecting our rivals. Always keep an open mind when you are challenged and toil hard towards victory without directing your contention to hatred. Always always keep your efforts the center of your attention and not the person who you are challenging. Be honest in your appreciation. A worthy opponent only amplifies your performance, enabling you to learn and grow.

With the following parting thought I wish you a positive outlook and a happy weekend.

"Of all torments, all the cares,

With which our lives are curst,

Of all the plagues a lover bears,

Sure rivals are the worst!

By partners in each other kind,

Afflictions easier grow;

In love alone we hate to find

Companions of our woe! " 

Goodbye!

Podcast S1 E10: Celebrate your Unique!

Hello and welcome to Lost in Labyrinth.  

It is the month of August and the dog days of summers are upon us. The year change is 5 months shy and God alone knows what other calamity is left more to witness! The Beirut explosion, termed as " unquestionably one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in history" by the experts, is said to have about one-tenth of explosive power of the atomic bomb dropped over the Japanese city during the World War 2, incidentally also marking its anniversary on August 6th.

My sanguine thoughts and prayer for the people in Lebanon to overcome this loss and the socio-political unrest! 

The gloomy event brings us to the topic today- Yugen and more importantly wabi-sabi.

The word Yugen derives its origin from Japan, meaning mysterious grace. It is an aspect of Japanese aesthetics which means a profound, mysterious sense of beauty of the universe and of the sad suffering. Which leads us to wabi- sabi- a world view centered on acceptance of transience and imperfections. A beauty that you seek, in which, is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. Because that infact is the real beauty. The Japanese culture has always inspired me. The way they build themselves up, after all was left devastated. They understand loss, natural calamities given all the earthquake and volcanoes they have to endure and yet they leave no stone unturned in making astounding progress. And that gives me hope! 

Time and again we have directed our appreciation towards objects, things and people perceived to check certain boxes/ standards that society at large has set. In the world do you dare to be your own? Do you have the courage to stand your ground and defy the empty standards someone said you must adhere to? 

There is a short story about a washer woman who worked as a laundress for a merchant residing on top of a hill. Every day she would walk down the hill to collect water from the stream nearby. When she was young she made two pots and colored them red and blue which made it easy for her to collect water. She loved her pots. Everyday she would walk downhill, carry a pole on her shoulders upon which she hung her beautiful pots. The water she carried was enough to do laundry. As the time passed by she noticed the blue pot has developed a slender crack along its side. She whispered, " My poor pot, will you still hold the water for me?" Some time passed by and the crack kept getting bigger. The blue pot worried now that soon it will be discarded by the woman as the pot could only carry half of its capacity. One morning when the woman was collecting water from the stream, she heard someone wail. Looking over the shoulder curiously, she noticed the crying was coming from somewhere close. She asked amazed, " Is that you blue pot? Are you speaking my dear?"  " It is I", the pot said, " and sorry to have failed you." Overjoyed the woman answered, " You don't understand, just look around". For the first time the pot stopped looking inward and instead looked at the path over the hill. On the right side he noticed the path was edged with blooming flowers poppies, daises and peonies. Like a ribbon of color ran through, it was such a delightful sight. The lady now spoke, " I knew about your crack and decided to plant seeds. Everyday you would water them and just see what a beautiful difference you made to the world!" 

All the sadness of the blue pot was gone, for it understood, that every being has its unique features. And it is for these little quirks that makes this world so interesting!

I, for one represented state in basketball and have loved the sport more than anything. The sound of basketball dribbling is music to my ears still. However that was not a very viable career choice. Being fickle minded person, being a hair dresser was next on the list. But coming from a family where education means so much more, that didn't fly too. I remember how my insistence to not do MBA directly after the graduation was questioned too? But I am happy how things unfolded for me and I wouldn't have it any other way! 

I am glad we are living in times where our next generation is met with more acceptance for their choices- eccentric or not. This attitudinal shift is apparent in the movies that are made today, the unconventional casts, choice of clothing, non- binary lifestyle- you just name it! And I am so elated it does...

So here's the post calling out and cheering for celebrating your imperfections. May you find your beauty, your wabi- sabi in your uniqueness. It's time you get boasting... And with the following parting thought, I bid you good bye and wish you a happy and relaxed weekend forward!

"You will always be too much of something for someone: too big, too loud, too soft, too edgy. If you round out your edges, you lose your edge.

Apologize for mistakes. Apologize for unintentionally hurting someone- profusely. But don't apologize for being who you are."

Catch you next Friday!

Podcast S1 E9: Nix it, Fix it!

Hi and a big welcome to Lost in Labyrinth!

I have enjoyed bringing to you these last 8 podcast. My process usually begins by the ensuing weekend where I ponder over the next topic that I strongly feel about. Monday is a busy day, I do bit of a research and identify the structure in my head. Time permitting, I write my first draft. If not Monday then Tuesday. Wednesday morning I wake up early, to make the most of my free time as the summer vacations have begun and finalize the content to write, something like a final copy. Taking in a few suggestions over the next 2 days,  Friday is when I record and release the podcast. The reason why I am telling you all this is because of late I received at least  15 requests to post a monogram picture with challenge accepted. Not a very social media driven person , I decided to read about what this campaign is. The more I read about it, the further I found my friends to the real cause. The cause first launched about a week and a half ago snowballed into something so big but so distant from the actual cause. As of yesterday there were 53,00,000 Instagram images viral under this hashtag! Finally yesterday all the major media houses picked up the news and decided to propagate it. I am sure by now all of you know the real cause. How this all impacted me? I had to delete the whole post and Thursday, today is when I am writing anew. 

So what better than to dedicate this post to last minute improvs whether a goof-up or not!!

I am sure all of us have encountered such situations and I certainly have a plethora of examples to share. I am always the goofy one! But on a brighter side searching for last minute fixes is a brilliant exercise in cultivate smartness. As goes the Murphy Law adage, if something has to go wrong it will! So what then are the take aways from these situations: Being responsive and spontaneous, thinking on your feet, to have solution-oriented outlook, not giving up and most importantly developing a sense of humor to look at the lighter side of things- some of the absolute essential qualities to have!

You will be surprised to know how some of the iconic TV moments have accredited their success to such mishappenings, so as to say! Poor TV writers, they take months and months to perfect their scripts, only for some bizarre quirk at the last minute that changes everything, making the improvised moment the best bit in the entire episode. Like the best came from which is never planned! 

David Schwimmer accidentally called "Rachel" at Ross's wedding. Writer Greg Malins revealed that David mistakenly said Rachel and they liked the twist so much that they completely rewrote the whole season 5 finale. 

Or, the Office wouldn't have existed if Ricky Gervais wasn't so lazy! Why? Because his long time colleague and co-writer Stephan Merchant only started working with him when he needed an assistant, working in London in 1997. He admitted he called Stephan for an interview because his was the first CV that was handed to Ricky and he was so lazy to go through the others. Within a year, they were co-hosting their own radio show and the rest is history!

There are plenty other examples, NCIS the famous 'Gibbs slap' was an actual slap that was never scripted. Or in Breaking Bad, the runaway scene, in season 2, where Jesse dashes for Walt's car to run away from Hank and his men was so much more intense when the car door actually jammed, and the director decided to keep it.

Professionally, I have fair share of moments that I can share with you, but I'd rather refrain. Talking about my personal life though, I did my college from St. Xavier's , Mumbai. It was my dream, for the better part of my teenage years and I was ecstatic to get an interview. Full of nervousness and optimism when my turn came, I seated myself infront of the panel of interviewers. Allow me describe it to you...It was a relatively large room with somehow a small table and there were 5 people sitting around to fire questions at you. I seated myself confidently opposite to them and started answering. Once I start speaking, there is this whole flow of thoughts that run through my mind amid answering. In the middle of this whole session I realized, this whole time, I had placed my foot on top of one of these interviewers. Too nervous now to move I chose to keep it for the rest of interview. Towards the end someone asked, the course you have opted for requires you to be very confident and how do we know that you will be even when things go south? Finding myself at the loss of any clever answer at that moment, I answered, that sometime in the middle of the interview I realized my folly, but continued to do so knowing both of us are now comfortable with the arrangement goes to speak a lot about my confidence! The panel burst into laughter and thanked me for reviving their day with humor!

I am almost certain each of one will have a story like this to share where your goof-up was well concealed with some last minute fixes. After all it is well said,

" Never judge a person for their mistakes,

  Judge a person on how they fix them! "

And with that wishing you a very joyous weekend ahead and hoping to read some of your stories in the  comments! Goodbye and take care.