Time is a Concept

From the time immemorial, ‘time’ has been the most talked about subject. The desire to surpass time has been burning in every human heart. Many scientists have attempted to make ‘Time machine’ without any success. On 22^nd Sept 2011, it was reported that physicists running routine neutrino experiments between CERN’s Geneva HQ and the Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy 455 miles away may have found their neutrinos traveling faster than the speed of light. This news has rekindled the possibility of time-travel. Why are we so obsessed with the idea of beating ‘time’? 

We feel trapped in the clutches of time. Every aspect of our life seems to be controlled by time. We are constantly reminded of its importance: – Time is money; Time and tide wait for none; etc. We seem to be always racing against time. There is never enough time to do everything in life. We seem to be running out of time on all fronts. Work deadlines, family commitments, social responsibilities, legal / regulatory demands and desire to rest take heavy tolls on the available time. We want to go back in time and relive happy moments and correct those events that we messed-up. We also want to race ahead in time and have a sneak preview of the future events. 

We are often tempted to ask, “When did ‘time’ begin?” The earliest known reference point for time is 13.75 billion years ago (based on the Big Bang theory), which is assumed to be linear. This assumption could be wrong and the time may well be non-linear. Then, we are also faced with the question: “What preceded the big bang?” If time didn’t exist before the big bang, how can we say when did it happen? The subject of time gets further complicated when we perceive it in relative sense. It appears to move very slowly when we are in a miserable situation and seems to race when we are enjoying. In dreams and at deeper sub-conscious levels, time takes weird dimensions – years shrink into hours or minutes. A recent Hollywood movie ‘Inception’ beautifully presented this aspect of time. Our dilemma is: “Which time shall we rely on?” 

In reality, the question ‘when did time begin’ is fallacious. We must step out of time to ask this question, which is not possible. The truth is: time is a concept born out of human mind. Time is the interval between two events and is born at the second event. That is perhaps why the smallest unit of time is called ‘second’. Only human mind needs time, as it dwells in memories of the past and thoughts of the future. Vegetable and animal kingdoms don’t have to worry about time, as they are programmed to follow the nature’s dictates without undue thinking.  

Everything in the life happens in the present. And, in the present, everything happens so spontaneously that time loses its significance. Those who live spontaneously need not worry about time. They totally submerge themselves in every experience and emerge fresh with new experience. For them, time is at best a tool to analyse past events for gaining necessary wisdom. Time can no longer command their lives. After all what happens to the time when a life suddenly ends? Can any time based research or planning avert this end? Why then waste life worrying over time? Time is only a concept – no more, no less. Let’s live with utter spontaneity.

The Joy of Easiness

Recently on a TV Quiz show, one participant talked about the book, “The joy of laziness”. I was amused to discover that there is, indeed, such a book in print. Here is a short synopsis of this book.

“Drawing on both scientific and anecdotal sources, the doctor authors of The Joy of Laziness argue that the much-admired Type A lifestyle of intense exercise, frantic activity, and overwork is detrimental to health and long life. Every human being has a limited amount of life energy, they say, and the speed with which it is consumed determines the lifespan. Citing the scientifically recognized Metabolic Theory, the book explains how being “lazy” — being calm, eating temperately, reducing or avoiding sports, exercising moderately, and limiting ambition — can boost the immune system and increase longevity.”

We may not agree with everything said in this book. But, who can deny the fact that ‘stress’ is the single most killer disease of modern times. 24 hours don’t seem to be enough in a day. There is a rush for everything. We want everything instantly – instant cooking, instant weight loss, instant wealth and instant success. Students are burdened to score high grades and choose profitable careers. Workers and executives are dying to climb career ladders. We are rushing through our meals, travels and meetings. We look for means of exercising that would burn more calories in less time. Even entertainment is fast-paced and confined to digital world – countless 24x7 TV channels, laptop, iPod, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, facebook, etc. Where is the time for a leisurely walk in a park? Where is the time for listening to birds’ chirping and wind blowing through trees? Where is the time for watching sunrises and sunsets? Where is the time for lying on a couch with a book? Where is the time for sitting with older generation overflowing with life’s wisdom? We seem to be doing everything, except living happily.

Everything in the nature is designed to work ‘easily’. Sun rises in no hurry. Flowers bloom in their own sweet time. Seasons change seamlessly. Birds fly with ease. Fishes don’t struggle for swimming. There is a symphony in play. No competition, no enmity and no jealousy. But, we humans seem to defy this principle. We believe in beating the nature. We think that we can get anything out of turn at will. We want to achieve our goals at any cost. Hence, we complicate our lives – by hurrying and worrying. Let’s watch the lives of true achievers. A true painter enjoys every turn of his brush. A great writer may ponder on an idea for several days without writing anything. A great musician plays his instrument effortlessly. A great dancer remains calm while her dance sets the stage on fire. A master batsman makes a difficult shot look easy. Easiness is the common denominator of all true achievers. When this easiness is lost, we become sick. That is why; the other name for sickness is disease (dis+ease). Stress is the symptom of living uneasily. Spontaneity is the sign of easy living.

This does not mean that we should not have goals and ambition in life.  But, we must choose a goal which is in line with our own natural talents. There is no need to mimic any other achiever. True achievers also don’t imitate anyone. That’s why they are called ‘original’. They don’t compete with anyone. When we imitate or compete with someone, we move away from our own centre and shift our yardstick to external factors over which we have no control. Stress is the inevitable result. However, when we work according to our own natural talent, we are naturally at ease. Everything flows effortlessly. We don’t get tired, no matter how much we work. Have we not noticed how easy learning becomes when our hearts are at work? Following our own natural talents, whether we achieve any great heights or not, we remain at peace with ourselves and that is the secret of happiness. A true achiever is always happy.

Last but not the least, each one of us is endowed with a great tool called ‘conscience’, which constantly monitors every thought, feeling and action. So long as our thinking, feelings and actions are at ‘ease’, they are in line with conscience and hence ‘right’ for us. Any deviation from conscience, however small, would cause uneasiness and hence ‘not right’ for us. Let this be the benchmark of our day-to-day activities. The Chinese master Chuang Tzu says:

“Easy is right.

Begin right and you are easy.

Continue easy and you are right.

The right way to go easy is to forget the right way and forget that the going is easy.”

Uncertainty - Spice of Life

We love certainty in life. We want to freeze the future on our terms. When we get up in the morning, we want the day to be bright and sunny. When we open the door, we want the newspaper on the floor. When we drive to work, we want the traffic flowing. At work, we want our bosses to be in good mood and our colleagues to behave well. In meetings, we want everyone to agree with our view points. While negotiating a deal, we want to win without having to make any compromise. While holidaying, we want weather to behave and everything & everybody to comply with our schedule. We want our friends to call us for a weekend outing and all important occasions. We want them to rescue us when we are stuck in a crisis. We want a job that will give us joy every moment. We want acknowledgement and appreciation for every single task. We want people to honour their words and stand by their commitments. We want to find a life partner who would perfectly fit our list of criteria. We want our spouse to never upset us, while ignoring all our faults. We want the market to only go upward after we have invested. We want injuries and sickness never to visit us. We want the world to be fair with us, never mind if we are not.

We believe that we will be happy only when every single wish is fulfilled, as if happiness resides in the certainty of tomorrow. Our happiness, therefore, hangs on the hooks of such ‘wants’ moment-to-moment. One hook falls and happiness is gone.

We need to challenge our belief that certainty in life can give happiness. Wouldn’t it be boring if we were certain of what was coming next? Life is like a thriller in which we can never guess what’s coming next. And, this uncertainty should, indeed, provide excitement. Even if nature wanted to fulfill everyone’s wishes, it could not do so as everyone wants different things from the same situation, event or people. This does not mean we should not expect or plan in life. But, there is no need to be obsessed with our expectations or plans, as if the world would come down crashing if they are not fulfilled. We must understand that nature has its own grand plan accommodating welfare of all the species of life in the entire cosmos. I am reminded of someone saying, “It is good if your wish is fulfilled, but if it is not fulfilled then it is even better because then the nature’s wish is being fulfilled, which will always be good for you in the long run.”

Therefore, we must remain open to any surprise. There is no need to restrict the future with any condition. It is like going to a grand buffet dinner with the determination of eating only 1 or 2 specific dishes. You are going to miss all the other dishes which might be more interesting than your chosen ones. Tomorrow will always come as ‘today’. If we are used to living in ‘tomorrow’ with complaints of ‘today’, we cannot enjoy even if our wishes are fulfilled as we are never present in ‘today’. Such is the power of habit. Hence, we must inculcate the habit of living in ‘today’, no matter what. Everyone must find his/her own ways of establishing this habit. When you are fully present in ‘today’, no opportunity will be missed and life will remain exciting. So, let’s spice-up the life. Let’s seek uncertainty.

Is Every Graduate Employable?

Recently, while holidaying in India, I came across a study conducted by the recruiters of large multinational companies and other corporate houses. The study revealed that “85% of Graduates are not employable.” Although this appears to be an exaggerated conclusion, there is no denying the fact that an uncomfortably high percentage of graduates today are, indeed, not employable. Should we blame the education system or the students? I believe that both are responsible for such a sorry state.

The word ‘education’ is derived from the root word ‘educe’, meaning to draw out something hidden or latent. This clearly implies that education is not a process of forcing knowledge from outside, but a process of uncovering the latent potential of each student. In order for this process to succeed, the student must strive and the education system must provide a conducive environment. However, the onus of learning remains with the student, who must exploit every opportunity of discovering his/her own unique talent.

 

Some of the important changes that can be implemented by academic institutions to make their graduates more employable are: 

1. Connect with the Industry: Today there is a greater emphasis on academic curriculum and less on the practical aspects of the knowledge imparted. There is very little ‘dirtying of hands’ during the study period. There is a virtual disconnect between what is taught and what is applied in the industry. It was surprising to note from the above study that ‘Diploma’ holders are more employable than the ‘Graduates’ by virtue of their emphasis on practical training. The study suggested a ratio of 70/30 between the practical and academic parts. Every employer wants new recruits to become productive ASAP.
2. Keep the curriculum updated: It is sad to see many institutions still following programs which were designed decades ago. The current pace of developments demands dynamic tuning of the courses. This is possible only when the academic institutions participate in industry sponsored projects dealing with real industrial problems. Teaching faculty should frequently visit relevant industry’s R&D centres and should have the freedom to update their programs accordingly.
3. Attract teaching faculty from Industry: I have often found students completing their PhD and then joining the academic world straightaway. They are not necessarily the best of the brains. Further, with little or no industry experience they are far removed from the practical application of the material being taught. Such teaching faculty cannot produce employable graduates. Academic institutions should attract and facilitate people with valuable industry experience to join their teaching faculty. Salaries and perks of teaching community must be made at par, if not more, with those in the industry. Stringent requirements such as PhD for becoming a Professor should be relaxed in favour of long industry experience. And, how about inviting those who have excelled in their work life and now on the verge of retirement?
4. Play active roles: In real world, we have to play variety of roles – salesman, engineer, manager, team leader, team member, publicist, analyst, etc. However, academic institutions hardly demand their students to play such roles as part of their studies. Most students are put in ‘straightjacket’. Consequently, after entering the real world, these students get rude shocks and must acquire these skills either through hard experience or additional courses.
5. Recognise short-term certified courses: There is an abundance of short-term certified courses on a variety of subjects, which are widely accepted by employers. Unfortunately, academic institutions rarely recognize them. Consequently, students are discouraged to take such courses while pursuing their main programme. Their focus remains on completing the prescribed courses and secure highest grades.
6. Integrate courses on soft-skills: At work, we need to employ a variety of soft-skills – communication, negotiation, public speaking, speed reading, active listening, time management, presentation, teambuilding & leadership, etc. Institutions should integrate courses / workshops on such topics in the curriculum.
7. Inculcate ABC: Once I heard a large multinational company’s recruiter sharing his criteria for recruitment. Before looking into academic performance of the candidate, he looks for ABC – Attitude, Behaviour and Character. In real life, ABC play vital role and can make difference between success and failure in any job. According to him, you can fill any gap in the knowledge, but you can’t teach ABC to an adult. Seeds of right ABC must be sowed in the childhood by the parents and teachers of primary schools. Students imbibe right ABC by following role models. Teaching faculty members should present such role models for their students. Further, academic institutions should teach basics of work ethics – commitment, integrity, punctuality, honesty, respect, trust, responsibility and fairness – which are sadly missing in the fresh recruits of the industry. 

To sum-up, academic world is responsible for producing graduates who can hit the work-life running, while striving to become better human being with every experience. Let’s prove Einstein wrong who once said, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school or college.”

Mind plays Games

Do you know that mind’s only pre-occupation is playing games? We are often fooled by our own minds. John Milton said, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.”

Mind is that aspect of our personality that thinks. A continuous flow of thoughts is mind’s food. No thought, no mind. Thoughts are either about past memories or future expectations. Present moment passes so fast that it offers no opportunity for the mind to think. The present moment can only be experienced, not thought about. Mind virtually dies in the present moment. Therefore, mind hates the present moment. It conspires to keep us from being in the present moment. It plays variety of games to keep us occupied in its playground – past memories and future expectations.

For example, you want to buy something. You collect all the information, carryout all the possible analysis / negotiations and zero in on one item. However, no sooner have you bought it and wish to enjoy, mind raises doubts about your decision. Now, you are not sure if you bought the right stuff or paid the right price. Your enjoyment from the purchase is no longer complete.

Consider another example. You are preparing for a job interview. You study all about the company and the job. You mentally rehearse a number of scenarios to perfection. But, on the D-day, mind presents a new scenario that you have not rehearsed. Your confidence is shaken and you cannot concentrate on the ongoing interview. Success becomes a matter of chance.

Yet another example: You are well prepared to make a presentation to a large gathering. But, no sooner you face the audience; mind throws doubts about your preparation or simply your appearance. Now there are butterflies in the stomach.

And, how about this example? You want to marry. You make a list of criteria and start exploring for a suitable match. You ultimately find a match and decide to live together forever. But, soon after the marriage, your interest drifts elsewhere. Mind starts highlighting deficiencies in your decision, while presenting alternative options. You are on a wild goose chase for the ultimate marital bliss. Increasing rate of divorces is a testament to this game of mind.

In reality, mind never gives 100% consent on any choice. That part of the mind, which does not give its consent, fights back soon after making the choice with greater force to convince us that our choice could have been better. Having committed a wrong action, mind hates to say ‘sorry’. It will fabricate all sorts of excuses and reasons to justify that action. Mind maintains a huge video library of all the past memories, especially the miserable ones, and replays the scariest number when we are about to launch a new venture or waiting for an important news. Child is late in returning from the school and the mind will suggest only the worst scenario. Mind never sleeps, even when we sleep. It weaves variety of dreams with strings of unfulfilled desires and fancies. We are never left alone in peace. Mind keeps us busy with unending series of dilemmas. It is a chatter-box in which internal dialogues never stop.

So, what do we do with such a mind? We can neither ignore it nor dump it at will. Perhaps the answer lies in the old adage, “Mind is a great servant, but a terrible master.” We can use it to our advantage. For this, first we must realize that we possess our minds – not the other way round. Hence, we have higher power than the mind. We should use this power to maintain a constant watch over the mind. Simple observation with a detached attitude can stop mind’s rambling to a great extent. Mind becomes unruly when we lose this objectivity and start flowing with it. Keeping our attention in the present moment is an excellent way of cutting the supply line for the mind.

We should refer to the mind when required. We should use it to carry out a given task or problem analysis. Let it throw possible options and choices. But, while making the decision, we should refer to our hearts. Heart is beyond logic and reasoning. Love is the only food for heart. It is closer to the core of our personality and hence can better judge what is right for us. Heart has wonderful quality of connecting with other hearts. So, it also knows what is good for everybody. Decisions reached by heart are comforting and do not have any disturbing aftereffects.

Once we regain control over our minds, we can reverse the game-plan. We can now play games with our minds. Since mind is so good in creating illusory visions, we can instruct it to create desired visions at will. We can ask it to create a vision of success before an interview or a business meeting. We can ask it to create a vision of applauding audience before the presentation. We can command it to lift the gloom and spread joy. We can use mind to go beyond the mind.

A prisoner confined to a dark cell in France for several years used this power of the mind to play virtual Golf in his mind everyday and became a professional player soon after his release. There is no reason why we can’t do the same with our minds. There is no reason why we can’t start living spontaneously – moment-by-moment.

Is Money Root of all Evils?

Once there was a king who had a servant. He used to give the king daily massage. King used to pay him one coin every day for his service. The servant used to spend that coin in fulfilling daily needs of his family and do some charity. In the evening, he used to call his friends and neighbours treating them with the remainder of the coin. In the night, he used to sleep without any worry and anxiety. The king felt jealous of his servant’s happiness, as he was besieged by all kinds of worries despite so much wealth. He discussed his feelings with his minister, who promised to fix this situation. One night, the minister dropped a purse containing 99 coins in the servant’s house. When the servant discovered it, he thought of making it to 100. Next day, he decided not to spend anything from the coin that he earned. His entire family suffered hunger and his friends wondered why he had not called for daily evening treat. In the night, he could not sleep, as his mind got busy with ideas of further increasing this new found wealth. He was caught-up in the whirlpool of 99. We may laugh at this story. But, are we not all caught-up in the similar whirlpools?

At the dawn of humanity, there was no money. Life used to begin with the sun-rise and virtually end with the sun-set. There was no certainty of tomorrow. Cut to the present time. There is no certainty of tomorrow, even now. But now we have money, which seems to assure us that tomorrow will come. With money, our life-styles and thinking have changed. We have learnt to postpone and camouflage our joys. We no longer enjoy delicacies of cheap joints. We no longer shop in open markets. We no longer stop at a chalk-painting done by an impoverished artist on the footpath. We no longer lend our ears to a soulful tune played by a loner in the sub-way. We judge success in life on the scale of money. We choose partners and friends on the parameter of money. We conveniently distance from those who don’t match our monetary status. How many of us would honour a prior commitment of meeting an old friend with humble background, when suddenly invited by a well known icon at the same time? Families fall apart over money issues. Friendship gets sour when money enters the scene. Is money root of all evils?

Certainly not! Who does not want money? If someone says he doesn’t, then either he is lying or he hasn’t any. It is unfortunate that money has been blamed for causing so many evils in the world. Money is merely a tool of exchange. When someone has the ability to produce something and another person wishes to have his product, then he exchanges his money with that product thus giving value for value. This is the principle of ‘fair trade’. Further, money has no intrinsic value of its own. In the famous novel ‘Atlas Shrugged’ by Ayn Rand Francisco says, “Not an ocean of tears, not all the guns in the world can transform those pieces of paper in your wallet into the bread you will need to survive tomorrow.” Money only carries a notional value given by different governments. This value can change overnight. Recent economic recession has amply demonstrated this fact.

Giving exaggerated value and power to the money is the root of all problems. It is vital that we clearly understand the right value and limitations of money through the following four fundamental questions:

1. How much money do we need? Money can only buy the objects of the world. And, we need money to survive and achieve our goals in life. But, when we cross the boundary of ‘needs’ and enter the arena of ‘desires’, it becomes a completely different ball-game. Since our desires are unlimited, the money that we require will also be unlimited. Hence, there will never be enough money to satisfy all our desires.
2. How must money be earned? Money must be earned through application of honest efforts. It runs away, when you chase it. But, it comes to you unexpected when you are busy delivering your best. Anyone inheriting ancestral money must prove himself to be worthy of owning it. Otherwise, the same money has power to destroy him. Those who find faults with money are most likely those who obtained it dishonourably. One can never enjoy ill-gotten money. The fact that you compromised with your conscience will always haunt you, no matter how much money you accumulate. Money is useful in true sense only when it is the product of your virtue. But it cannot give you virtue and it will not redeem your vices.
3. How must money be used? Like water, it spreads life and cheer only when flowing. It stinks when it is locked-up in vaults. No doubt, we enjoy spending it on ourselves. But, when we spend it on others, especially unknown and incognito, our hearts are filled with bliss. A vulgar display of wealth attracts unwanted attention, which ultimately ruins its very existence. Money is best used in realizing our own hidden potentials, not in imitating others.
4. Should we keep money for tomorrow? We must inculcate the habit of saving something for a rainy day. But, accumulation of money at the cost of today’s happiness cannot guarantee tomorrow’s happiness. What would we do with the accumulated money when we have lost the ability to contribute and enjoy in the world? But, our ability to produce; our ability to remain useful for the society and our ability to enjoy every moment will guarantee continuation of happiness as long as we live. Someone somewhere will always be ready to reward us for our honest efforts. Most of all, we would sleep every night peacefully.

Making Sense of Common Sense

“Use your common sense.” Aren’t we tired of hearing this? Most of us use this phrase in our day-to-day dealings almost without thinking. By common sense, do we mean what most people would do most of the time? Which sense do we refer to and what is common about it? Are we talking about information received through sensory organs, emotional feelings, intellectual understanding or something close to conscience? Can any sense be common to all? Is there a thing called ‘common sense’?

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “Common sense” as “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.” Let’s also see what some of the famous personalities say about common sense:

• Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius (George Bernard Shaw)
• Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
• Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen (Albert Einstein)
• Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done (Josh Billings)
• Common Sense is that which judges the things given to it by other senses (Leonardo da Vinci)
• The philosophy of one century is the common sense of the next (Henry Ward Beecher)

In the absence of a common understanding, use of common sense appears questionable. Human race has evolved through millennia of learning and growth from initial hunting age. Accordingly, our sense of perceiving different situations has also changed. However, everyone has not evolved equally. Even today there are people, amongst us, representing almost all ages of human evolution. Factors such as: gender, culture, beliefs, environment, education, experience, traditions, prejudices, etc. produce the whole variety of people. It is futile to expect everyone having sense that is common to all.

Notwithstanding the above, I like Josh Billings’ quotation, “Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.” By common, I guess, he means ‘simply’, ‘ordinarily’ or ‘obviously’. This makes sense to me. It is within everyone’s grasp to see things as they are, and do things as they ought to be done. If all are able to apply this power at their individual levels, what they would see and do will tend to be common and hence a common sense can prevail. But, it is easier said than done. In reality, we often see things through the lenses of our prejudices and act based on our likes and dislikes.

Seeing things as they are is seeing the truth, which is same for all. And, in truth lies all the possibilities for future growth. Newton, Einstein, Archimedes, Edison – each one of them simply saw the truth and discovered great laws of science. What was common sense to them, remained great mysteries for others before them. Even rocket science is based on principles derived from multitudes of common senses. I believe that every single scientific and technological advancement, that today’s world boasts of, was a common sense for someone at the start. All theories, philosophies, work of art and culture have evolved through commonsensical approach of rare individuals who dared to see things as they were in their times. I also believe that most of the political, social and inter-personnel problems are rooted in the fact that we have lost sight of the truth. Everyone is carrying a ‘hidden agenda’. Everyone is asking what is in it for me. No one cares to ask what is in it for everybody.

Through education and experience, we have lost simplicity and acquired sophistication. We have developed a knack of complicating everything. We no longer seek simple pleasures of life. We dwell in virtual reality. Sophisticated gizmos, that were meant to free us for enjoying life, have stolen the very life from us. We meet people on the net, shop online, telecommute to work and believe in everything digital. We are seeking life in the digital world, while the life is shining in full splendour just outside our windows.

Common sense has been the biggest casualty of current times. There is no reason why any conflict or problem, however big, can’t be resolved if all concerned dare to see things as they are and get committed to doing what ought to be done. Common sense is deeply rooted in simplicity and simplicity is sufficient for living. Are we ready to break out of virtual reality and park our prejudices? Do we wish to test the fruit of common sense, in real sense? There is no better time to start than NOW.