Interest

#I

 Interest is a key factor in driving you to do anything in life. But when something is not interesting, how can one react to it? I used to hate studying all through my life ever since school. I learnt 101 ways how not to do it and here I present some methods to make studying interesting.

*Keep a pouch full of colorful pens. Write and see what you have learnt. The attractive colors will woo you to write more and hence keep you engrossed.

*If you are a team worker, do group study. Even better, restrict your group to just you and one or two more friends who are focussed. Take one part of the syllabus each, learn it and teach each other. Listening to something helps you grasp it easier than reading.

* Relate the concepts to real life situations. Ex; Newton's law - Every action has equal and opposite reaction can be connected with something funny like a person who slaps gets slapped back immediately.

*Reward yourself duly after completing each portion. For instance, if you set your goal to one chapter in an hour, prize yourself with an ice cream when you achieve it. The ice cream will be a motivation for you to do it. In case you dont complete on time, never mind, give some grace time and try to finish it within that. If that too fails, go to the next chapter and keep this for the last. This way, you will keep moving unstoppable.

*Use a short chair that helps you rest your legs perfectly on the floor and keeps your back erect. The sitting posture is more important while studying because it determines how soon you get tired.

*Don't forget to revise at the end of your session. Just attach keywords to all the points and test your memory.

 *Have a good night's sleep of minimum 6 hours. 

*No matter how much you have prepared, stay confident of finishing your lessons and giving your best for the examination. Confidence levels work wonders than you think. Keep your head cool and perform.

Hero

#H

Few people who have been the heroes in my life. No matter how they turned out in my life, these people will be remembered for different aspects

1. My schoolmate Dhwani - Her stage presentation and confidence were inspiring and helped me act confidently in most places

2 .  My internship boss Sam Daniel - I had made a blunder by making a subtle remark about something sensitive on social media and it reached the head office of the TV channel he worked for. I got a call from the channel's legal department and was warned about it. But Sam didn't ask me a word about it till date and saved my head without even making a fuss about it.

3.My former colleagues Jackson and Senthil - They showed real team spirit during the early days of my career. Jackson even spoke for me in our tough times when I had not voiced for myself even. Senthil fortified me each time when the going got tough. We had a natural friendship.

4.My school friend Archana - I learnt from her that being a topper in studies wasn't a mandate to make friends.

5. My former school Principal Sharadha Balasubramaniam - She was an example of how humility and amiability with students can be the traits of someone at a Principal status. She took pains to explain me the reasons for the rules that she formulated in her tenure even though there was no necessity for that. Although we are not in touch, I pray that she stays blessed.

6. My school English teacher Rebecca Victor -  She gave me the freedom to voice my views fearlessly in her classes. I was also encouraged to learn new words probably to use it in those classes!

Gratitude

 #G

I am grateful for so many things in my life. I would like to list out how grateful I am to some of the people from who I dont have expectations:

1. The traffic Police

Traffic police are one lot of soldiers who do a great deal of thankless job. They work 7 days a week without break. They look rustic but are in real very friendly and approachable. Each time I want to get an auto that plies with meter, I reach out to the nearest traffic police. Every single one of them have taken special care to ensure that this is done. Once, a traffic police even introduced me to an auto as his kin and requested the auto man to get me home safe with meter rate.

2.My Gynaecologist

Dr Bhooma must be in her early sixties. She speaks to me like her own daughter. Once she even went to the extent of not getting any fees at all for me after a consultation. I insisted on a suggestion to give free service to some other poor and deserving person but she refused taking a penny from me.

3. Trees

I have hardly planted a tree or two in my life. But in fierce summer, a lot of trees dot the road and shelter me. The shade is an elixir to a traveller during hot summer noon. Especially in April copper pods bloom in plenty and make a visual treat. I cannot thank them enough for sharing themselves with everyone. They exemplify that the greatest beauty is felt only when shared.

4.My colleague

 My colleague Chitra supplies hand wash to the office free of cost. No, she is not from the house keeping. She is the Associate Editor of our newspaper. But she provides this to ensure hygiene for all of us. Her lending ears and discerning attitude leaves no person unturned in the office that makes her absence felt immensely when she is on leave. We fondly call her 'mommy' because every hour we spend here we keep looking for her to share our views.

Fear

#F

 

Fear is that feeling when I cling on so tight to my husband's shoulder

while he speeds past traffic during peak office hours in the damaged
Chennai roads. I pray to god to be merciful and spare our lives for
one more day. 'God, forgive him for his gutsy drive. Forgive him if
he's taken the wrong turn or decision in driving. Just save us today!'
I murmur.

By the time my feeble voice travels upwards heaven and the answer
transmits back, my husband halts the bike in front of my multistorey
office. 'Good job man! We are alive!' I say letting out a sigh of
relief. I then queue my second prayer wishing Sundar reaches his
office safely too. Off ignites his engine and he zooms out of sight in
a giffy.

Rushing to the biometrics to record my attendance, I hurry as I am
already half an hour late. Situated on the 6th floor is my department.
I usually prefer the stairs to the lift because most of the days I am
fitness conscious. The rest of the days when I choose the lift, the
carrier decides to go conky and gets me locked inside for frightful
period of time.

Fear is getting stuck in the lift and trembling that it should not be
the end of your life. When in a crowd it is suffocating to stay inside
for long hours and if Im alone, alas, there is nobody for company to
act in a tough situation. Once, I tried to pacify myself and reached
for the alarm button when the lift stopped mid way. To my misfortune,
I had pressed the lights button instead and it was put out. In another
instance, we were a group of six and the current had gone. We were
reaching out by banging the door and trying hard to breathe.

Moments later, the security guard aided to our calling and we came out
alive from a testing incident. Phew! I perspire mostly out of fear
than the sultry weather and take the stairs without looking back at
the lift.

Fear is getting a memo from your boss for being late and scurrying
within your bounds for reasons to give him for the default. I try to
act confident and nod my head for his advice to inform him in prior in
case of late arrival and throw myself on the rotating chair and put on
the switch of my computer.

Fear is having an unreliable computer that is often menacing and
threatens to shut down when you have a list of work to do for the day.
I juggle in between the available systems and haste with the day's
work.

Fear is dozing off in the middle of work after having a tiring
morning. I take a stroll round the corridor and return to cope up with
the rest of the day.

The real fear however is running away from the tasks and not facing
it. After wading through a series of incidents at day, I get ready for
the next challenge with the same fear but each day, a little lesser as

I learn how to handle my fears.

What is your biggest fear and are you ready to face it? 

Earn

#E

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of earn is actor Rajinikanth's punch dialogue that goes like this. 'Anything that you acquire without much effort will not last and something that you work hard for and get will never leave you.' Between the rhyme and time of this line is embedded a deep meaning.

How many times have you dreamed about something and desperate to get it? But how many times have you put in your 100% to get that you wanted? I have. There is a thin line of difference between desperately trying for something and doing something the right way. While in the former, you may fail, in the latter you 'earn' your reward.

In my post graduation there was a tussle between me and a classmate which blew up to the entire class turning against me. I was desperate to making friends. I tried all means. I helped some people, I tried giving them money, gifts, working for them, but nothing worked. At one point I even tried to woo a girl to become friends by hitting on a deal. I showed her my personal diary that I had been maintaining for more than a decade now. She read it, used my gifts even if unwillingly(although she didn't ask for them) and then, she would do it all secretly without my social inclusion with her. I was not in her clique. That hit me under my belt. I learnt that friendship cannot be bought but earned.

In life, we desire for many things but we either take the wrong approach or wish for the wrong people/things. The truth is simple. If something is not natural, do not try to artificially acquire it. Wait for the right time or person and don't be disappointed with the current state.  Desperation only leads to dismay while dedication makes you prepared and earn your success. The best example for desperation is beggars while for dedication is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. From a sweeper, he did his education in political science, prepared himself for the position and earned his power.

Have you earned anything so dedicated?

Dare

#D

The future belongs to those who dare to dream. But what does it take to dare do something? Sheer courage. Most of the times, our fears are greater than the real problems itself. When I was a kid, I was lonely and did not have many friends. But when I wanted to make friends, I was scared. I was scared if my classmates would accept me or even include me in their circle. I was afraid of big groups because I assumed successful kids were those who studied well. Little did I know that just daring to dream would get me connected with everyone even if I faked the relationship.

I devised a method. I skipped my classmates and made friends with my seniors. This, gave me a sense of social acceptance. Subsequently, my classmates learnt that I have already been acknowledged as a successful kid in popularity circle and accepted me heartily.

But until then I was on the apprehension confinement and dared not take the first step towards climbing my success ladder. I had low self esteem because I imagined that only studiousness was the way to making friends. But I detested studying already and thought I was incapable of anything, destined to be a loser. This is a small example to what daring can help you do.

There is nothing in life that cannot be acquired when you dare to do whatever it takes. Many at times hurdles come in the form of family, friends and financial crunch. But there is more than one way to a skin cat. Find an alternative to the means that you take to get what you want. The key to this is staying positive and never giving up on yourself. If you want to handle something in a particular way, envisage the reactions to your action. Plan how you can do it better. This way, daring will never sound as terrorised as the word is meant to sound.

When you dare to do the right things that you want in simple things, you will eventually learn to dare to do bigger things in life. Are you daring?

Comfort

#C

Comfort is that state when you are as immersed as gulab jamun in a jeera like state of affair. It sounds delicious like the jamun and luxurious like it's texture. But do you remember that jamun is a perishable item and needs to be eaten within a span of time?

Same is life. If you stay in your comfort zone and do not attempt to move out, you would either be forced to move or perish. But coming out of it isn't as heartening as staying inside. What should one do to undergo transition?

Start different things, the fun way. In comfort zone it is easier to experiment small things than falling into the sea and learning to swim. For instance, if you have been spending your leisure reading Facebook jokes, may be you can spend a part of that time in reading books or newspapers. If you've been walking everyday to exercise, take the extra effort to experiment yoga or Zumba. After all, you will be benefitted because of this.

Remember, it is not always comfortable to stay in the comfort zone because some day when the storm howls and you are thrown into the ocean, it is easier to grapple if you already know swimming than fighting for life and learning it the hard way. When you are gifted with comfort, it is only the span to equip yourself for tough times in life’s circle. Make use of it and come out successful. 

What is your comfort and how are you going to make use of it? Tell me about it.