Living on Digital World

The sun rise and the sun set the greatest natural phenomena the strange creativity of nature is digitalized in this world. As we step out of the bed with the beeping sound of the alarmed cell phone we look into our digital watch which runs on solar batteries, and electrify ourselves to do our daily chores, the first thing we go to the bathroom and switch on the water pump, and throw our night clothes into the washing machine, and the machine starts to gyrate, simultaneously we make ourselves clean and ready ourselves to go to school, and our mother makes our breakfast in the electric oven, gas or in the micro-oven, and the electric chimney sucks the pungent air to keep the kitchen clean, the water filter pours the clean water after three stage separation and then only we can drink, and the snarling sound of the refrigerator reminds if I have secretly kept hidden any thing special away from my younger brother who always loves to tease on my delicacies. My father opens his Laptop and enters on line the official VPN(Virtual Private Network) of his office and scans important mails and replies sipping red tea, and his cell phone rings intermittently after every minutes which sometimes irritates me and my mom very much. Good Morning this is the digital world we live, every thing is connected to wires, network, LAN, WAN, 3G, wifi, wimax, or Wireless.

“DIGITAL technology is key to reducing global poverty—mainly because it gives the poor access to vital information, such as weather forecasts and market pricing”. This is the main message of the "2010 Information Economy Report" from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which was published on October 14^th. The general belief is that those who are born between 1980 and 2000 are 24/7 ipeople with technology gadgets. The iGeneration's embrace of technology created digital natives and dotcom kids which colonised the online virtual worlds of, Facebook, Twitter MySpace and orkut, faster than any other generation and have become accustomed to the instant answers and gratification the internet delivers. The addiction of internet is such that the new generation cannot imagine life without the www, alone going a day without updating their status. The style of living is logged on and living out loud.

The digital world has revolutionized the whole world in such a way that each work we do is directly or indirectly connected to some form of digital network. In school the book we are reading is printed on digital technology, the pen, pencil, the cloth we wear, the fan running on classroom, the projector used for science everything is digitalized. Now my father reads most of the important news paper online even before the paper vendors delivers the paper in our home early in the morning. All this digital information, mind-numbing technology, and creative innovation that surrounds us each day is extremely overwhelming, borderline suffocating but in a strange way humbling and inspiring. We grew up bombarded with information overload. We are a spoiled generation, not in terms of material things, but in digital goods. We watched as the tech bubble burst in Silicon Valley, we witnessed 9/11 and26/11(Mumbai Terror attack) while sitting in drawing room, we quit shuffling encyclopedia or books to find something important, and we asked Google, not God, why the sky is blue. We have a reputation of being “know-it-alls” because of all this technology. You can’t blame us, because with the click of our fingers, we feel like we know it all. Now it is true that screen time is very high with teenagers, than on books.

We are optimistic for the future and are more wired and globally connected with our peers than previous generations through emails, Gtalk, Instant chat. Yet, we are facing an economic downturn, a grim job market and a mortgage crisis, We are renting, not buying, borrowing, and not paying dating, not marrying…or maybe that’s just my thought ;).. We are aware of what’s imminent, but hopeful because like I said, we live in a digital world, and with technology, we can find answers, innovate, communicate, educate, spark controversy and conversation, and bring about change. The technology of brick and mortar is already outdated and the concept of B2B(Business 2Business) M2M(Money2Money), etransfer, eshopping, ebanking, mbanking, cloud computing, is catching up fast. It is not very far that we will move out from our computer Classroom to a digitalized classroom where all lessons will be online and instant online exam. At last I would like to wrap up what Richard Dawkins, English biologist said “There is no spirit-driven life force, no throbbing, heaving, pullulating, protoplasmic, mystic jelly. Life is just bytes and bytes and bytes or digital information”

Character Protects Life:

Few days back, I have received so many inquiries of one of my relative, do you know him?, how is he? and various other questions, but the point of epicenter was somewhere, and she might have casually asked someone, but it caught like wildfire, and in their over enthusiasm they tried to dig the character of that person(my relative) the echoes are still vibrating in the facebook, and he felt so bad that now he is contemplating to leave his present job and settle abroad….I am very sad I will miss him because he was back only 6 month back from US. Someone asked me about his Character, for me Character and responsibility are the two side of the same coin. Some decisions are easy to make, others are more complicated. When it's a choice between right and wrong, we don't need to weigh the pros and cons. Choosing to do the right thing is an act of self-respect and responsible decision making.
Modern civilisation has developed as a result and expression of man’s evolution as a mental being. In the process, the physical and rational mind of humanity has become a powerful instrument for the observation and comprehension of material phenomena codified as the various branches of physical and biological science. But this unprecedented advancement in the material realm has not been accompanied by a corresponding growth in knowledge of human psychology and the more general field of life events. In fact it seems that with the growth of these mental faculties, man has for a time lost an earlier capacity to see and know life directly through his own vital being. Most scientists approach psychology as a branch of biological science which in effect delegates man to the same treatment as his non-mental ancestors in the animal kingdom. Where psychologists venture beyond these physical limits, they are always on precarious ground and most often end in constructing mental theories with little relevance to living realities. When it comes to a science of life itself, as opposed to a science of matter and material forms of life, science has simply refused to address the topic and has attempted to dismiss it by the premise that life movements are a combination of natural physical determinis and chance events with no underlying principle of order or harmony.

There is an old saying “Everyone tries to define this thing called Character. It's not hard. Character is doing what's right when nobody's looking.” The saying is very true because most of us try to develop personality, Developing talent without developing character is a dead end. It won’t take people where they want to go. The lives of people who are long on talent but short on character always get out of balance. A joint study conducted by Korn/Ferry International and the UCLA Graduate School of Management asked 1,300 senior executives to identify the top trait needed to enhance a business executive’s effectiveness. Coming in first was integrity. In second place was concern for results, with responsibility third. What’s true for the boardroom is also true in the classroom, living room, soup kitchen, or gym. If you want your talent to take you far, you need to protect that talent with integrity.
The final component in strong character is integrity, which is an alignment of values, thoughts, feelings, and actions. People who possess the consistency that comes with strong integrity can be very compelling. In his book American Scandal, Pat Williams tells the story of Mahatma Gandhi’s trip to England to speak before Parliament. The British government had opposed Indian independence, and Gandhi, one of its most vocal proponents, had often been threatened, arrested, and jailed as a result. Gandhi spoke eloquently and passionately for nearly two hours, after which the packed hall gave him a standing ovation.

Afterward, a reporter asked Gandhi’s assistant, Mahadev Desai, how the Indian statesman had been able to deliver such a speech without any notes. “You don’t understand Gandhi,” Desai responded. “You see, what he thinks is what he feels. What he feels is what he says. What he says is what he does. What Gandhi feels, what he thinks, what he says, and what he does are all the same. He does not need notes.” When values, thoughts, feelings, and actions are in alignment, a person becomes focused and his character is strengthened.
People are like icebergs. There’s much more to them than meets the eye. When you look at an iceberg, only about 15 percent is visible—that’s talent. The rest—their character—is below the surface, hidden. It’s what they think and never share with others. It’s what they do when no one is watching them. It’s how they react to terrible traffic and other everyday aggravations. It’s how they handle failure—and success. The greater their talent is, the greater their need is for strong character “below the surface” to sustain them. If they are too “top heavy” with talent, then they are likely to get into trouble with
No one can expect to succeed without strong character below the surface to protect his talent and sustain him during difficult times. Character holds us steady, no matter how rough the storm becomes. “Character is the pedestal that determines how much weight a person can sustain. If your character is the size of- a tooth pick, you can only sustain a postage stamp. If your character is as thick as as a column, you can sustain a roof”
Character is just like a wall we build all around us, which protects us from the external negative energy. A person with good character skills would never find it hard to adjust with others because they know and would always do the right thing, and someday you would be able to win the hearts of the people. For example, throughout you’ve been a good student and one day your teacher gets you in brawl with another student although it’s not your fault. But the teacher might not punish you, knowing that you are a good child, and you don’t deviate from your path of doing the right thing. Character is not what we only we can feel and know, but others also know your character and the actual person behind you. A good character would always save you and no matter what even when once you’re not happy being always right and not doing tempting things, later on you would see for yourself the fruits it bore you. You would never be punished for what you haven't done, and if your character and inner self is pure.
Character is simply our essence. So in another sense we can say that Character protects our life.


##This is actually an essay I have written on Character based on true incident of the first part.

Clock & Compass

Clock & Compass:

Last Sunday my Father was at home, and I was in my study table going through my daily morning ritual of studying my school books, since the school is at vacation, I have kept my study table clean which otherwise usually always remain cluttered with books and notes lying over here and there. My father came close to me and looked at the new Clock hanging above the table, and said ,,,beautiful Clock….I smiled and said …my choice. He stood near me looked around the table, on the wall where posters of Hanna Montana, my school routine, Goal Sheet, and many things was sticked,,,,,,but he said one important thing is missing “Dudu”(my pet name). I usually listen to my father more than asking becoz once he said it is God’s natural law that God has given you two ears and one mouth i.e. listen twice as much as you speak. I looked up around and said, Papa I think everything important is there. He smiled and said you have the Clock, but you do not have the Compass,,,,I said it is in the pencil box,,,he burst into laughter and said Compass is not that.

He explained that most of us are afraid to be ourselves, so we usually give up our own dreams to follow the Crowd,,,,we see so many genius people on this earth but it is not the sole domain of a rare group or a certain breed of person, we all of us are capable to be genius if we so choose to be one. The important thing is identifying our talent,,,,,,same message is conveyed by the movie “Three Idiot” also, if we focus on any area or skill with relentless devotion with daily improvement and a passion for excellence you will definitely reach the pinnacle of success.

Now coming to Clock and Compass,,,,he said that in humans struggle to live on this earth and put things in order there is two powerful tools that direct us…..The Clock & Compass. The clock represents our commitments, appointments, schedules, Goals (which I have mentioned in my earlier postings), activities, ,,,,,,,what we do with and how we manage our time. The Compass represents our vision, values, principles, mission, conscience, direction,,,,,what we feel is important and how we lead our life.

He said that since you do not have the Compass you will feel a sense of Gap between the Clock and the Compass,,,and since we truly do not understand the gap between the clock and the compass in our lives, we turn for “time management” by looking at the Clock,,,,,heee, hee Study time, Swimming Time, Facebook Time, etc etc,,,,

Compass

1.Vision-It is nothing but seeing with our mind’s eye what is possible within us, to execute a project, cause and in any enterprise. Vision results when our mind joins need with possibility.

2. Values-Values are social norms-they are personal, emotional, subjective and arguable. All of us have values, even criminals, terrorist have values. The questions we must ask is are our values based on principles?

3. Principal-It is universal natural law- transcends culture, and are embodied in all major religions and enduring philosophies, second, they are timeless-they never change, and third, they are self evident.

4. Mission-A mission statement answers the question, "Why do we exist?"Change is Constant……Creating a mission statement is not something you do overnight. It takes deep introspection, careful analysis, thoughtful expression, and often many rewrites to produce it in final form. It may take you several weeks or even months before you feel really comfortable with your mission statement, before you feel it is complete and concise expression of your innermost values and directions. Even then, you will want to review it regularly and make minor changes as the years bring additional insights or changing circumstances.

5. Conscience-Listening to our inner self, it is the inward moral sense of what is right and what is wrong, the urge to drive towards meaning and contribution. It is the guiding force to Vision, discipline and passion,

So Papa said, to be successful in life you need a “Compass” which is very important and above all it is never too late to become the person you have always dreamed of being,,,so lay claim to your natural genius and to your greatness, and drive a stake to mark your place under the sun, stop being a prisoner of your past and become the architect of your future…..but always be bold to say “NO” if your conscience say so, because every time you say YES to something that is unimportant, you say “NO” to something that is important,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,so Clock without Compass is worthless……..something like you know the time but do not know where to go,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.

*Reference from Dr Steven Coveys “First Thing First”

*Robin Sharma: The Monk who Sold his Ferrari

* My Father

Goal Goal

GOAL GOAL………….

Goal Goal Goal,,,,,,,,Last few week the whole world was in the grip of Goal, the Football World Cup, and the ultimate results of any match comes from the Goal, added to the Goal was the Waka waka….which spelled such a magic that Goal and Waka, waka became synonymous with each other……but very few of us give that importance to the GOAL of our own life. Goal is always associated with GROW, example the list of winning team for World cup has Grown, two new team is added in the final and Spain is added in the list of winner. Now in our practical life “GROW” plays a very important role, GROW is an acronym standing for “Goal - Reality - Options – Will”

A useful metaphor for the GROW model is the plan we might make for an important journey. First, we should start with a map. With this, we decide where we are going (our Goal) and establish where we currently are (our Current Reality). Then we explore various ways (the Options) of making the journey. In the final step, establishing the Will, we ensure how much we are committed to making the journey and are prepared for the conditions and obstacles we may meet on our way.

Interestingly, goal commitment and difficulty often work together. The harder the goal, the more commitment is required. If we have an easy goal, we don't need a lot of motivation to get it done. When we are working on a difficult assignment, we will likely encounter challenges that require a deeper source of inspiration and incentive. That is why our Goal should be always SMART,,,,,,few day back, I have given a status in Face book regarding SMART,,,,,,,and many of my friends have given various definition, but only one friend have given the right definition “Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time bound” . In attaining our Goal we should always be Specific with a time frame (Measurable) and should be within our reach according to our capacity i.e. if a student of arts try to be Scientist it is not attainable, so Goal should be (Attainable), and above all realistically Relevant, not outdated, should suit the present day world. And the most important factor is (Time bound), Goals are set on a number of different levels: First we create our "big picture" of what we want to do with our life, and decide what large-scale goals we want to achieve. Second, we break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that we must hit so that we reach our lifetime goals. Finally, once we have our plan, we start working to achieve it, and then only we can say SMART GOAL along with GROW.

By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, we can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals. We can see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. By setting goals, we also raise our self-confidence, as we recognize our ability and competence in achieving the goals that we have set, then only the real GOAL of our life we can achieve and dance to the tune of Waka Waka………