Mind talks - How to tackle Negativity and its effects

 Volatility in thoughts

Every moment when mind tries to think of all past experiences which have hurt you, do not try to run away from it. You would need to learn to live with it. If not these thoughts will start eating you slowly until you go mad. In my case, sudden rush of such thoughts hits me at unknown times, completely shattering my focus and concentration. I consciously tried to put them behind or ignored them when they appeared in the mind but the intensity of such past thoughts/experiences is too strong. The only solution to deal with such thoughts is to try and accept them, acknowledge them. Talk to your mind, make peace with it. Speak to the evil side of your mind and tell the below.

"Yes, I had such bad experience and may still be going through similar or same kind of experience, but I do not want to die thinking of this alone and want to move on, if you want destroy me by bombarding such thoughts, good luck to you, as I will live with it and move on today"

People with fault picking mindset

I have observed people who would have biased minds when interacting with others. Meaning, if they had negative experience with a person there thirst to find faults in whatever that person does skyrockets. The same output from another person whom them do not have any issues with or have a loving relationship with doesn't trigger fault finding engine in them. And these people do not simple get over with it. Verbal abuse feels like heaven to them, sadistic mindset kicks in when they abuse and 24/7 observation is switched on towards the person from whom they had negative experience with (lets call this person NP from now on).

They go to such extents to please their minds that consciously they ensure "NP" is deprived of all "good" stuff ranging from the smallest to largest.

For such people follow the below mantra:

"I will always do good to all people around me and never try to think ill of them, I do not want to spoil my mind's place by thinking evil of them as my mind is sacred for me and I need to keep it clean"

How tough it is to detach from everything around you?

How can you live a life with absolute ignorance on everything is that is happening around you.. How can you be selectively involved or force participate based on choices made by someone else.

How would life be if you are not allowed to make a choice on the stuff you eat as well. How to show bonding on one occasion and not on another. How to turn a blind eye to all unnatural or illogical circumstances your are drawn into?

How to live and die at the same time? how do you cage yourself and free at the same time? How to be deaf and mute on all injustices around you? How to mix sad and joy moments in the same moment? How to ignore the fact that all you are is just a card in a bigger scheme of things?

How to put all the events which are turning black and white every other moment in perspective and make sense out of it and make a connection back to your life? how to make sense of everything that occurs inside and outside of YOU?

Children and COVID times

During these pandemic times, I see children who are under 12 years are the most affected. When I see kids who are supposed to start their first steps into Montessori and further are doing online classes. Which in my view is inefficient and disgusting. These kids are losing social skills, disciplinary skills.

They do not know what is punctuality and discipline and obeying elders etc. Their fine motoring skills are going for a toss. No one is able to help them. We as parents are trying our best to induce some learning and writing habits in their brain but due to familiar faces they are not so keen on doing what we say. They need a commanding voice in the form of a teacher in front  of them. Only then they will start inclining towards academics. Other wise, we are here for a very dark phase of life in these kids lives. 

Kids below 12 years are addicted to cellphones increasingly and with no other choice left during the COVID times. We really cant ask them to not look at cellphone or play games in cellphones as going outside and playing is a dangerous option. Some kids who do want to get locked with a cellphone try to use all the indoor toys but for how long? So we are in a phase where the Kids are PUSHED BY LACK OF CHOICE TO WATCH/PLAY ON A CELLPHONE.

Just when we had hopes of schools opening up, we have Omicron hitting the streets and Governments thinking to lock the cities again. Its really sad to see such things happening in front of our eyes, which we had seen in sci-fi movies probably 10 years back.

I just hope kids from this phase of history are not classified as pandemic kids just because they were deprived of good education.

Off the topic: In Karnataka the government has introduced multiple choice questions for SSLC (10th Std) which I think doesn't make sense and makes it difficult to differentiate between kids who have good skills and who are merely ticking answers in randomness.

COVID and Work from Home

 The title is combination of events which is disaster to life. I was reading an article which gave suggestions or "principles" to follow for two types of working modes.

1. Work from home

2. Work from home during COVID. 

I just couldn't stop laughing at the status we are in today. My experience during these times when you are literally left with no choice but to work for and from home is a confused story to say the least. 

1. You really can't deny certain chores that are requested to do at home. At the same time you have to 
obey your boss at office.

2. You have to clean your kids poop while presenting the quarterly business review to your stakeholders.

3. You have to carry your laptop with "ALL" accessories from headphones to mouse to power adapter when you kids are playing outside where the local authorities have dug up the road for civil works.

4. You have to receive the guests and at the same time listen to the team call, just to ensure you do not miss any action item for yourself.

5. You have to do the casino job if mute/unmute when you are attending important call (in which you have to "TALK") and at the same time your kids are running around the house shouting and crying at the top of their voice.

6. You have take the call while you family is at restaurant or shopping mall sitting at a public sit-out.

7. You have to deal with domestic micro (or macro?)-aggressions while taking your appraisal meeting with your boss.

8. There is no element called "PRIVACY" when you are working. Its plain "BLACK" or "WHITE". Either you work for company or work for home.

9. You have lost your "SPACE"/

10. Never ever I wish this would repeat.

What is the significance of Modi in the next Loksabha polls?

 Narendra Modi is undoubtedly now the Political Leadership face in India. There is no other leader outside and inside BJP who can equal his charisma. But with the BJP's own rules of not having a leader continue at helm after a certain age limit, the chances of Narendra Modi returning as PM if BJP gets majority is slimmer. Having said that, with current global turmoil on so many fronts (COVID-19, Afghan war, Climate crisis) it may be wise to continue with a leader who has proven his mettle and understands the ground reality better than anyone else.

It may be tough for a new leader even within BJP as he/she needs to get up to speed (and time is of prime essence at this point). Every minute counts and we may miss the train in terms of taking critical decisions for the country and in global stage plus making important foreign policy changes may take longer from a new leader.

What about the economic reforms currently underway under Modi?

Yes, this is another important question. Although the new leader if from BJP itself will have similar plans to review economy, there may be slight change in approach. So as far as the economic reforms are concerned it should not be a pain topic if BJP itself comes to power again.

Does BJP's outlook as a party change if Modi is not at the helm?

To a certain extent yes. People have Modi imprinted in their brains, to get used to a new face and more importantly to have the conviction that "this new guy from BJP is a true warrior like Modi" will take time. Problem is India doesn't have time in global stage, we have to keep running at the same or even better pace year-over-year. If the growth engine slows down even at a very small percentage, we will lag behind other players like China.

Conclusion: Yes Modi is needed for now and it’s all going good. The reality is he has to retire very soon and on that day we may experience some slowness in the administration until the new leader picks up the pace to runs (hopefully) even faster than Modi for the country.