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Autonomous Driving: The Future Unveils

Automobile researchers and surveyors predict that by 2025 we’ll see approximately 8 million autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles on the road. But before getting on roads, these self-driving cars will first have to progress through 6 levels of driver assistance technology advancements.

What exactly are these levels? And where are we now? 

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) defines 6 levels of driving automation ranging from 0 (No Driving Automation) to 5 (Full Driving Automation).

Level 0 (No Driving Automation)

Some of the vehicles running on the street today belong to this level of automation. , At Level 0 Autonomy, the Dynamic Driving Tasks, operating tasks like steering, braking, accelerating or slowing down, and so forth are all performed by the driver himself.  With no autonomous or self-driving controls at all, all aspects of driving are to be taken care of by the driver, including reacting to hazards. A Level 0 car has no self-driving capabilities at all.

Level 1 (Driver Assistance)

Level 1 automation is the most common on roads today. This is the lowest level of automation. The vehicle features a single automated system for driver assistance, such as steering or cruise control. At this level vehicle can assist with either steering or braking, but not both at the same time.

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) falls into this category, It will keep a safe distance between you and the car ahead of you by using radars and/or cameras to automatically apply braking when traffic slows, and resume speed when traffic clears. Lane-keep assist will help nudge you back into the lane should you veer off a bit. These systems will assist drivers but still require the driver to be in control. A park assist feature is also an example, where the driver has to control the speed of the vehicle while the car takes care of the steering.

Level 2 (Partial Driving Automation)

Most automobile manufacturers are currently developing vehicles at this level, where the vehicle can assist with steering or acceleration functions and allows the driver to disengage from some of their tasks. These vehicles still require full attention of the driver for most safety-critical functions and all monitoring of the environment and are not responsible for vehicle control. Level 2 is said to be achieved in a vehicle if for example: it combines adaptive cruise control with lane centering (which steers your car into the center of the lane). The automation doesn’t include self-driving because a human sits in the driver’s seat and can take control of the car at any time. Tesla Autopilot and Cadillac (General Motors) Super Cruise systems both qualify as vehicles of level 2 automation.

Level 3 (Conditional Driving Automation)

Level 3 vehicles are the ones that can be truly considered autonomous. Often referred to as "eyes-off" vehicles. At this level, you can take your eyes off the road. The driver’s attention is still critical at this level but can disengage from “safety-critical” functions like braking and leave it to the technology when conditions are safe. The drivers are allowed to safely use their phone or watch movies, although they are still required to be on-hand to take hold if necessary, so falling asleep isn't an option.

Level 4 (High Driving Automation)

A car with level 4 capability can do all the driving a vehicle needs, but only in certain circumstances. At Level 4, the autonomous driving system would first notify the driver when conditions are safe, and only then does the driver switch the vehicle into this mode. You won’t be required to take over when all the conditions are right unlike level 3 vehicles, but in weather conditions such as rain or snow, the vehicle might not allow you to engage self-driving. The best example of a level 4 vehicle is Google's Waymo project.

Level 5 (Full Driving Automation)

Full automation is the dream goal where no human intervention is required. You could be the only passenger and not be expected to drive at all. All you have to do is enter a destination in the navigation system, either through touch or voice command. If Level 0 is the automobile you drive, then Level 5 is the automobile that drives you. We are still way away from putting level 5 vehicles into mass production, although Elon Musk claimed that Tesla would be ready for level 5 in 2020.

Autonomous driving can be scary for those who don’t fully understand how all works, It’s fair to say that consumers won’t accept autonomous cars unless they are confident that they will be at least as safe as they would be on a commercial jet, train, or bus. Even at Hyundai, with the latest technological additions and modifications such as Bluelink using artificial intelligence principles and the models like Nexo, the company is set to put their foot into the further levels of vehicle Autonomy. The production and launch of higher level cars is not only constrained by technological obstacles but are also governed by safety regulations and legalities in different countries. In spite of these obstacles the day when the road is full of automated cars is coming; not soon but definitely someday.

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मला समजलेले सावरकर

मी काही साहित्याची अभ्यासक नाही. पण एक वाचक म्हणून माझं मत मांडते. २ दिवसांपूर्वीच सावरकरांचं पुस्तक वाचलं - माझी जन्मठेप. सावरकर लिखित साहित्याशी माझी ओळख आधीच झाली होती. पण जसं किनाऱ्यावर उभं राहून समुद्राच्या अथांगपणाचा अंदाज येत नाही, तसचं ' माझी जन्मठेप' वाचल्याशिवाय सावरकरांच्या साहित्यात रममाण होता येत नाही. १५-१६ वर्षांचा प्रवास, त्यांनी सहन केलेले आतोनात कष्ट, याहि पलिकडे ' माझी जन्मठेप ' मधून एक मूर्तिमंत लेखक डोकावून जातो. प्रत्येक ठिकाणी घटनांचं व भावनांचं केलेलं वर्णन, आणि त्यासाठी वापरलेल्या उपमा एक वाचक म्हणून मनाला सुखावतात. याआधी एकदा सावरकर लिखित ' कमला ' हे महाकाव्य वाचायचा प्रयत्न केला होता. त्याची नुसती प्रस्तावना वाचताना घाम फुटला. आहे प्रस्तावना एका वाक्याचीच, पण किमान तीनदा वाचल्याशिवाय समजत नाही. एकच वाक्य खूप वेळा वाचायची वेळ याआधी मेघदूत वाचताना आली होती. मेघदूत सं��्कृत मध्ये असल्यामुळे समजणं सहाजिकच कठीण होतं. पण हे तर मराठी भाषेतल होत. तेव्हां एक गोष्ट लक्षात आली होती, सावरकरांचं मराठी समजणं हे काही सोपं काम नव्हे. असं म्हणतात की जेव्हा हाताच्या बोटांच नामकरण चालू होत तेव्हा सुरुवात करंगळी पासून केली गेली. तिला महाकवी कालिदासाच नाव देण्यात आलं. पण तिच्या शेजारी असलेल्या बोटाला काय नाव द्यावं असा प्रश्न सगळ्यांना पडला कारण कालिदासाच्या शेजारी उभा राहू शकेल असा प्रतिभावंत कवी/लेखक तेव्हा नव्हता. म्हणून त्या बोटाला अनामिका असं नाव पडलं. सावरकर जर त्या काळी जन्मले असते तर आज अनामिकेच नाव वेगळंच असतं...

- संयुक्ता

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Hyundai and its Core Values

Hyundai Motor Company is one of the leading automotive manufacturers in South Korea. The company was established in 1967 as a construction company by founder Chung Ju-yung. Over the years Hyundai went major restructurings and is now many companies come under the ‘Hyundai’ umbrella. Along with its 32.8% owned subsidiary, Kia Motors, and its 100% owned luxury subsidiary Genesis Motor, they comprise the Hyundai Motor Group. The company employs about 75,000 people worldwide. Hyundai vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 5,000 dealerships and showrooms. Hyundai Motor group designs, manufactures and sells light vehicles, commercial vehicles and buses. The company’s cars are considered the safest in the industry and have been granted multiple safety awards.

In last 52 years from its foundation, the people of Hyundai have put in huge efforts and hard work to secure a place as one the leading automobile companies worldwide. To get to such a level of business what a company needs is strong core values and company fundamentals. When every person working at the company is consistent with its values, it is then that a company would be able to achieve such a fate in such little time.

The Hyundai Motor Group follows certain values to maintain harmony among its members, to put in consistent and honest efforts and to achieve success without hampering the quality of the product and the service. These values are:

Customer: Hyundai promotes a customer-driven corporate culture by providing the best quality and impeccable service with all values centered on the customers.

Challenge: Hyundai refuses to be complacent, embrace every opportunity for greater challenge, and are confident in achieving our goals with unwavering passion and ingenious thinking.

Collaboration: Hyundai creates synergy through a sense of “togetherness” that is fostered by mutual communication and cooperation within the company and with their business partners.

People: Hyundai believes the future of our organization lies in the hearts and capabilities of individual members, and will help them to develop their potential by creating a corporate culture that respects talent.

Globality: Hyundai respects the diversity of cultures and customs, aspire to be the world’s best at what we do, and strive to become a respected global corporate citizen.

The blend of all these values with their realization in various places has led to the development of certain strengths and shortcomings of the automobile business.

Strengths:

Excellence in vehicle safety and design in Hyundai is proven by many awards. Hyundai is considered to be one of the safest automobile brands in the world. The company has made significant improvements to the cars safety features and has been awarded the following safety awards. The company has received more than 30 safety awards over the last 6 years. In addition to Hyundai’s efforts to improve its cars’ safety features, the company also stepped up in its design efforts. Many models have been acknowledged as the best in design, earning Red Dot Design, Good Design and Product Design Awards.

Effective research and development (R&D) at Hyundai has resulted in development of new innovative cars. Hyundai has spent KRW￦ 2.712 trillion or USD$1.847 billion on R&D in 2015. While it’s far from the largest amount spent on R&D in the industry, the money is utilized effectively by Hyundai.

Low cost to drive and durable cars are offered by Hyundai. Its cars are well-made. The company provides 5 year guarantee for any new car sold, which is one of the longest and best covered guarantees in the industry. The company is able to offer such guarantee because Hyundai produces quality cars. Hyundai’s cars have been awarded by numerous rewards as ‘the best cars money can buy’ and ‘the best residual value’ cars. Thus the value depreciation of Hyundai vehicles is lesser.

Strong presence in China’s market is one the strength of the automobile giant. China is the largest Hyundai’s market, where the company has 8.9% market share. It is also the fast growing vehicle market, which is set to become the most important market to compete in, in the future. Therefore, having strong positions in the China’s vehicle markets is important as it builds brands presence and loyal customer base. Strong Hyundai presence in China creates strong opportunities for the future growth.

Shortcomings/Challenges:

Over the last few years, Hyundai has issued product recalls. In 2015, Hyundai recalled 470,000 Sonata’s to fix engine problems and an additional 305,000 vehicles to fix braking light problems. In 2016, the company recalled more than 170,000 vehicles in the U.S. alone. The company also recalled more than half a million vehicles in 2014. A high number of recalls damages consumer trust of the company’s brand and adds to negative publicity. Both result in lower revenue and lower operating profits.

Hyundai is among the top 5 largest auto manufacturers, but the brand portfolios don’t seem to be that effective. Hyundai sells Hyundai and Kia brands, while Volkswagen sells 12 different brands, General Motors 9, Chrysler 8, Toyota 4 different brands. Only Ford sells the same 2 different brands as Hyundai. Fewer brands lead to fewer customer segments that can be satisfied and as a result, the business reflects the same.

Hyundai also has no presence in the Japanese vehicle market, after the company pulled out of it in 2009. The U.S. market also doesn’t seem to have a dominant Hyundai presence.

Though Hyundai has challenges to overcome, because of the integrity of the people of Hyundai with their core values, Hyundai will soon be able to overcome the challenges and come up as a bigger, more successful automobile giant. It will the fundamental values which help the business grow further.

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The Evolution of Hyundai i20

It was in 2013, that I first came across a Hyundai car, Hyundai i20. There it stood shining with a magnificent Blue shade. I distinctly remember the first time I sat in a Hyundai car, our own Hyundai i20 Magna. As I sat into in the backseat of the our car, I realized how my back perfectly fit into the shape of the rear seat, how my legs could comfortably be accommodated in the optimum leg space, how amused I was by the automatic window controls and the speakers which were just in their right place. In the later years, I made it to the Driver’s seat eventually, to realize that I was still as comfortable as before and Hyundai never failed to provide me with the comfort. It was like; the Hyundai car with its versatility accommodated every member that travelled with it.

 The Hyundai brand has been built upon excellent reliability and astonishing value for money, It is hard to find a negative word dais about the brand or the vehicles that it produces, and in that sense the i20 really is the perfect representation of the brand. The i20 was affordable, comfortable, versatile, sophisticated and reliable, all at the same time.

 The Hyundai i20 is a Hatchback, and its production started in the year 2008. The i20 made its debut in October 2008 at the Paris Motor Show. The first generation had striking and contemporary features like Power Steering, Anti-lock Braking System, Automatic Climate Control, Air Bags, Fog Lights, Alloy Wheels, and Air Conditioner etc. It had a petrol in-line engine with 4-Speed gear box. The i20 has a total of seven four cylinder engine options. Three are petrol, while the rest are diesel engines. 

The second generation of the car was launched in India as Elite i20 in August 2014. At launch, ten variants and two engine options were offered in the market. Its popularity soared in no time and it was in 2015 that the car was awarded as Indian car of the year ICOTY. The new model came with new engines, new styling, and a better safety structure. Its variants came in 5-Speed and 6-Speed type models. In 2018, changes to the interior including the addition of a new infotainment system equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were incorporated. The 4-speed torque converter automatic transmission was replaced with a CVT for petrol engine variants. The Hyundai i20 crossover budged as i20 Active was launched in India in March 2015. It was based on the Elite i20 and features front, rear and side plastic cladding, along with front and rear aluminum skid plates. In addition to this, the i20 Active had cornering lamps, aluminum pedals and roof rails, along with a fuel lid cover.

 The third generation is set to step foot in the market in 2020. This new i20 will set the trend for a sportier and more technological vehicle. The third i20 generation comes with more infotainment features. In the safety department, Hyundai has included the front collision assist (FAC), which can also detect pedestrians and continuing with rear collision warning, blind spot monitoring, lane following assist and an intelligent parking assistant that will automatically brake the car if an obstacle or other moving object is detected. The new mild-hybrid version is provided with a small battery and a 48-volt electrical system to improve the fuel consumption. Hyundai has dropped the diesel engines and will be launching 3 gasoline engines at the launch.

The popularity of Hyundai i20 reflects through the numerous awards that have been associated with the vehicle. The i20 was named one of Euro NCAP's "top five safest cars for 2009", which was based on Euro NCAP's maximum five star awards and their overall score. In 2010, it was awarded as the “Australia’s Best Car”, In 2014 it was identified as “Small Car of the Year” by Top Gear Turkey, Turkey and Hatchback of the Year, by ZigWheels India. In 2015 it received overwhelming number of awards in Germany-the automobile hub, for its design, the “Product Design Award”, “Golden Steering Wheel” Readers choice award, “Viewers Choice Award” and “Hatchback of the Year Award” in India and many other awards in Slovakia, UK etc. In 2016 it was awarded “Company Car of the Year”-imported vehicle in Germany. Many awards followed over the years which made the Hyundai i20 one of the most successful projects of the brand.

 Every time I sit in my Hyundai car, I get a sense of satisfaction and I feel good about investing my money in such a product which has now become a significant part of my life. I am a happy Hyundai customer and I know for sure that there are millions such out there. I can say this with faith that Hyundai would continue to make its customers delighted with their automobile experience with the help and assistance of its members which are always thinking new and creating surprising new possibilities.

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The Extended Hyundai Family

With new thinking new possibilities, come great responsibilities, and when it comes to responsibility of satisfying customer desires, desires for highest quality, comfortable designs, highest performance and safety, there is no one but Hyundai which could provide the customers with the best in everything.

Customers have always been at the center of any idea at Hyundai. May it be the Security systems, Safety Systems in a Hyundai car or the Entertainment facilities, the sleek Designs or the Post-buy Services; Hyundai has never failed their customers. There is no bracket that can define the Hyundai customers in general, the cars are preferred and loved by every section of the society. The Hyundai cars stay a notch above others because of the on road experience and the designs.

Design:

Hyundai Motor’s innovative vehicle designs are based on a principle called ‘Sensuous Sportiness’. Hyundai ensures harmony of people’s emotional values with a rigorous sense of proportion, structure, styling, and technology, they produce cars that meet, and usually exceed, even the most demanding aesthetic choices of their customers.

 Safety:

From the moment you step into a Hyundai vehicle, safety surrounds you from all corners at every second, even in places you never imagined.

Hyundai has introduced numerous new technologies into their cars for user safety. These technologies include Energy absorbing Steering columns, Smart Cruise Control to maintain a safe car distance by automatically engaging the brakes and elevating the speed intuitively with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) for better driving experience especially on congested roads, Brake Assistant System which effectively detects and assists the driver if he is trying to make an emergency stop, Forward collision-avoidance Assist system which helps prevent accidents with other vehicles or pedestrians by automatically reducing the speed and alerting the driver of potential on-road collisions, Vehicle Stability Management System, Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems and many more.

Advanced Technology:

Hyundai Motors works to co-develop the company's new growth engine by developing innovative mobility services that includes technologies such as autonomous driving and artificial intelligence, to transform people's lives

Remote Self-Parking, Safe Exit Assist, Ultra-Sonic Rear Occupant, Blue link: Remote car finder, Destination search, Remote climate control, Remote door lock and unlock are some of the newest features provided by Hyundai.

Hyundai has always taken interest in research in the automobile sector and, a study of patents reflected just how quickly interest driver assistance and telematics technology that can help inform drivers of road and traffic conditions has grown in recent years.  Hyundai Motor posted the biggest gains in the number of patent filings over the past five years, narrowing the gap with industry leader Toyota. The patents are from five key areas: propulsion, navigation, handling, safety and security and entertainment. Hyundai is among the leaders in every category, ranking number three overall behind Toyota Motor Corp and Robert Bosch.

Customer satisfaction has always been the forte of Hyundai Motors India too; this fact is also reflected in various surveys. HMI has topped the after-sales customer satisfaction survey among mass market brands, according to global market research firm JD Power. Hyundai, the country’s second largest car seller, scored the highest 912 points in after-sales customer satisfaction survey. It had topped the rankings in the mass market category for India last year as well. The study measures overall satisfaction in various factors such as service quality, vehicle pick-up, service advisor, service facility and service initiation. The study also found that customers who are 30 years and younger expect a higher quality service experience when their vehicle is being serviced.

Hyundai isn’t just a car it’s a manifestation of customer needs and demands; An embodiment care, happiness and comfort. Hyundai is a family you could always rely on. Hyundai has shown how much it cares for its customers- The Extended Hyundai Family, and will continue to amaze us.

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On reluctance and regret 🙃

Even though I love to, I hardly ever end up writing. So this time, I decided to write about my resistance to writing.

Writing has always helped me reorganize my thoughts & recognize my emotions. Not only that it also serves as an excellent medium of communication. A part of me has been proud that I can use it well, & another part of me a bit rue-ridden that I never professionally trained for it.

However, it has been my experience that I avoid writing as long as I can, despite having a flurry of ideas all through the day. Only after the notifications start popping up that 'people following your blog haven't heard from you for a while', do I finally summon up the energy to write again.

Partly the reason must be that writing is only negligibly relevant to my profession. Somehow I got the impression from those around that it's a waste of time, when I should be focusing on my career. And I agree, even now.

Yet, is it right to suppress a part of yourself because it is irrelevant to the circumstances? Can a part of you be irrelevant to your life? May be from an eagle's view, this is just a minor instance of the conflict that engulfs all of human race, a conflict between prudent choices & happy choices, a conflict between Rand & Osho, the conflict between objectivism & hedonism. May be the gist of all these polarities comes down to a single question, 'would you prefer to be moderately happy for a long, long time or would you rather experience intense happiness for a while & then prolonged regret & pain?', as Karla in Shantaram put very aptly.

Personally, I always end up in a limbo between the two, a heaven of unexplored possibilities, because I would rather float in an ocean of wonderings than walk on hard ground through all my wanderings. 😉

... yet, what if it's drowning, not floating & I am not fish?!

-Nihar

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Food, Shelter and Clothes

It’s said that the three primary needs of a human are “Food (including water), Shelter and Clothing.” Have you ever thought that in the very same world that we live in, there are few amongst us who don’t have the privilege of these primary needs?

It was 1:45 am, I was sitting outside the boarding gate waiting for my boarding to start. I had already said my goodbyes to my family. Before entering the airport dad told me one thing. He said, “Shweta, while returning I don’t want a trophy instead I would like to see a positive change in your perspective towards life. That my girl would be the real success.” He also said “You are going to represent another country so make sure you do justice to those people.” Around October end I got a mail saying I was selected as a delegate for Asia World Model United Nation II to be held in Bangkok from 30th January to 2nd February. It said I will be representing Israel in the council of International Organisation for Migration. And thus here I was sitting quietly and waiting for the doors to open. I was nervous, tensed, happy and scared all at once. This was going to be my first international MUN, my first abroad trip and not to mention my first solo trip. While all these thoughts and emotions were flooding inside me the boarding call came. I took few deep breaths, stood up and entered the plane. As soon as I boarded the air hostess welcomed me with a calm smile and a greeting “sah wah dee khrap!” and that’s how my journey began…

I landed in Bangkok and was lucky enough to immediately bump into other delegates. We all went to our hotels and got ourselves registered. I was too tired to have my lunch so I went to my hotel room and got ready for the opening ceremony. As I entered the banquet hall I saw delegates from different countries sitting together and talking with each other. I sat at a table where I had a delegates from India, Mexico, Philippines and Myanmar. After talking with them I realised a lot of them were just like me, on their first solo international trip. All of them had their own nervousness, yet they found soothing words for each other and were smiling brightly. Soon the night ended and the next day came. I stood in front of the mirror, repeatedly convincing myself to let go of my nervousness (didn’t really help though). The day began smoothly. I remember standing near the podium ready to give my opening speech. The feeling and the thoughts that crossed my mind in that moment were something that even now I find hard to express. The day went by with debates being made, motions being passed, voting, working papers being written and finally drafting a common resolution together with 149 other countries. Going through this one day, the day for which I had prepared myself so much, I realised how hard it is to represent a country, may it be your own native country or some other. The day ended, I had my dinner, went to my room and sat down for a bit reminiscing the entire day. During the sessions something that our chairs said to us had lingered inside my heart till now. He had said “After today you all will probably go back to your own comfortable life but the people for whom we are drafting this resolution, for whom we all are here, face the harsh side of life. A side we can only imagine.” Sitting there in my room with those words still ringing inside me, I realised the true meaning of what my dad told me at the airport. My perspective towards looking at life had really changed.

Yes I was going back to my normal comfortable life but now I had the courage of leaving my comfort zone for standing up for those who can’t, shouting for those who can only whisper and defending those who cannot defend themselves. It hit me, that truly we spend our days worrying over our own issues, while there are others who go through some extremely tough situations that too on daily bases. I suddenly remembered a dialogue from a movie ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ where one of the pirate says that “The world used to be a bigger place” and in response the other says “The world’s still the same. There’s just less in it.” I feel somewhere in the midst of nationality, gender and religion we often forget that we are humans first. It indeed is true…in the midst of chasing to become more powerful we often forget the human side of us. So yeah the world indeed is the same place it just has less humanity in it. So yeah if today someone asks me why do I want to do this? I could confidently answer them and know the true meaning of my own words…”If not Us, then Who? And if not Now, then When?”

-Shweta

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'स्व' च्या शोधात

एका तळ्यात होती बदके पिले सुरेख

होते कुरुप वेडे पिल्लू तयांत एक

नकळत आवडून जाणारं हे गीत. कधीही ऐकलं तरी नव्याने काही देऊन जाणारं. गीताचा आशय 'the ugly duckling ' या कथेसारखा, पण सहजसुंदर शब्दांना लाभलेली सुरेल बांधणी, यामुळे त्या कथेला एक वैशिष्ट्यपूर्ण माधुर्य प्राप्त होतं. कधीतरी आयुष्यात असाही क्षण येतो जेव्हा मनाची अवस्था त्या कुरुप वेड्या पिल्ला सारखी होते. मनात न्यूनत्वाची भावना निर्माण होते. आपल्याला कोणतीही गोष्ट जमणार नाही असं वाटू लागतं. आजुबाजुची परिस्थिती पूर्णपणे विरोधात असल्या सारखं वाट���ं. भेटणारा प्रत्येक माणूस किंचित का होईना पण वरचढ भासू लागतो. आपणच तेवढे बावळट आणि कोणीही येऊन टपली मारुन जावी असे झालो आहोत की काय अशी शंका येऊ लागते.

असं काही घडत नसतं ही कदाचित पण उगाचच मनाचे निरनिराळे खेळ सुरू असतात. अशाने आणखी अस्वस्थ व्हायला होतं. बेचैनी वाढत जाते आणि मनात अशांतता पसरते. दैनंदिन कामे सुद्धा जमेनाशी होतात. हळूहळू स्वतःच्या क्षमतांविषयी साशंकता निर्माण होते. मग स्वतःवरचा विश्वास उडायला लागतो. स्वतःहून आत्मविश्वास ठेचला जातो. हे सारं घडायला छोटंसं कारणही पुरतं. निराश , हताश वाटतं. असं सारं असताना कुठुन तरी एक लहानसा आशेचा किरण खुणावतोच.

भाबडीशी एक आशा नित मनात वसते

दिस येईल तुझाही सदा सांगत राहते

नाही घडले जीवनी हवे वाटणारे काही

तरी नव्याने मनात एक उभारी भरते

छोटासा आशेचा किरण कितीतरी उत्साह देऊन जातो. पुन्हा नव्याने उभे राहिले जाऊ शकतं हा विश्वास आणि विश्वासाने उभे राहण्याची ताकद देऊन जातो. स्वतःच्या क्षमतांवर साचलेल्या धुळीचा थरावर फुंकर घातली जाते. नवी उमेद, नवी जिद्द उराशी बाळगून सुरुवात होते पुढच्या प्रवासाला. जिथे मागे वळून पाहणं नसतं. सोबत अनुभवाची मोठीशी शिदोरी आणि पुन्हा कधीही ठेचला जाणार नाही असा नव्याने बळावलेला आत्मविश्वास सुद्धा असतो. या साऱ्या साठी एक क्षण पुरेसा असतो... अत्यंत महत्त्वाचा क्षण... स्वतःला शोधण्याचा क्षण... त्या कुरुप पिल्ला प्रमाणे... स्वतःतला राजहंस शोधण्याचा क्षण...

- केतकी जो.

[infinityandbeyondposts]

ENCOUNTER

I went by a shop

Saw a big brown teddy

His nose a black berry

Smile wide & merry

I brought him home

For I was so very alone

I cuddled him & kissed him

As he was my very own

But he won’t return my hugs

And his limbs fell limp

So my loneliness returned

On cheek my tears burned

The days passed by

With an unending sigh

For I didn’t know why

His smile seemed wry

So I tried to pry

In his & mine heart

But I found his dry

I determined to part

So I locked him up

In a cupboard up & high

Then I found a human friend

Our minds alive & nigh

The sadness dissolved

My loneliness resolved

And happiness evolved

For I felt absolved

Perhaps nothing heals a person

Like another person

May be that is the reason

Teddys only last a season!

-Nihar

[infinityandbeyondposts]

गोष्टींची गोष्ट

माझ्या वडिलांचे वडील आम्हाला लहानपणी खूप गोष्टी सांगायचे. माकड आणि मगरीची गोष्ट, लाकूडतोड्याची गोष्ट आणि अशा इतर लघुकथा तर ते सांगायचेच, पण रामायण, महाभारतही त्यांनी आम्हाला खूप रंगवून आणि सविस्तर सांगितले होते. याचा परिणाम असा की मला आणि माझ्या भावाला गोष्टी सांगायला खूप आवडायचे. आमच्या शेजारच्या घरी एकदा पाहुणे आले असताना त्यांनी माझ्या भावाला तिथे खेळताना पहिले आणि विचारपूस केली - तुझे नाव काय, शाळेत जातोस का - इत्यादी इत्यादी. "एखादी कविता म्हण बघू" म्हणल्यावर ४ वर्षांचा माझा भाऊ त्यांना म्हणाला, "त्यापेक्षा मी तुम्हाला रामायणाची गोष्ट सांगू?" त्यांना गंमत वाटली आणि ते सांग म्हणाले, तर बंधुराजांनी श्रावणबाळाच्या गोष्टीपासून सुरुवात केली. अर्धा तास झाला तरी गाडी अजून सीता-हरणावरही पोहोचली नव्हती. शेवटी पाहुण्यांनी कंटाळून "अरे तुला आई बोलावतीये बघ" म्हणत याला घरी पाठवून दिले.

मी शाळेत असताना अनेकदा मोकळ्या तासाला गोष्टी सांगितल्या. नंतर-नंतर आम्ही गोष्टी सांगण्यासाठी मोकळे तास मागायला लागलो. कधी आजोबांनी किंवा आईने सांगितलेल्या गोष्टी सांगायचे, कधी वाचलेल्या गोष्टी सांगायचे तर कधी गोष्ट सांगता सांगताच बनवायचे. मी काहीतरी सांगते आहे, आणि ते सगळे मन लावून ऐकताहेत याचं मला फार बरं वाटायचं. गोष्टी सांगायची हौस भागवण्यासाठी मी एक ब्लॉगही सुरु केला. खरंतर अनेक सुरु केले, पण त्यातला एकच (अजूनतरी) जिवंत आहे.

तर गोष्टींचं हे देणं मला मिळालं माझ्या आजोबांकडून. आम्ही मोठे झाल्यावर आजोबांनी त्यांच्या आयुष्यातल्याही गोष्टी सांगितल्या. तर गोष्टींच्या या गोष्टीत, आजोबांची गोष्ट ऐकणार?

माझे आजोबांचे वडील सैन्यात, घोडदळात होते. घोड्यावरून पडल्याने त्यांच्या  पायाला दुखापत झाली आणि त्यांना सैन्यातून निवृत्ती घ्यावी लागली. मग ते कोल्हापूरजवळ शेती करायला लागले. माझ्या आजोबांना एकूण किती भावंडे ते नक्की माहिती नाही, पण त्यांचा थोरला भाऊ लग्न झाल्यावर नोकरीसाठी कोल्हापुर शहरात राहात होता. माझे आजोबा त्यांच्या या भावापेक्षा वयाने बरेच लहान. शेतीमुळे कुटुंब हलवता येत नव्हते. त्यामुळे आजोबांना शिक्षणासाठी कोल्हापुरात भावाकडे ठेवले. कोल्हापूर ते गाव हा प्रवास एस. टी. ने करायला कितीतरी आणे लागायचे. आणि दिवसाला दोनचं बसेस. एकदा एका दिवाळीसाठी आजोबा आणि त्यांचा आणखी एक मोठा भाऊ गावाला परत जात असताना त्यांची पहिली बस चुकली. मग पैसेही वाचतील व लवकर घरी पोहोचू म्हणून या दोघांनी पायी गावाकडे जायला सुरुवात केली. संध्याकाळी गावी पोहोचून पाहतायत, तर घरी कोणीच नाही. शेजारी विचारल्यावर समजले की दिवाळीचा फराळ घेऊन मुलांना भेटायला घरचे सकाळच्या गाडीने कोल्हापूरला रवाना झाले आहेत. आता तर गावाकडून कोल्हापूरला जाणारी बस गेली होती. मग हे दोघे रात्री घरी राहून, पुन्हा दुसऱ्यादिवशी सकाळी चालत कोल्हापुरात आले. घरी कोणी भेटले नाहीत तर येताना बससाठी पैसे घालावेसे त्यांना वाटेना.

आजोबांना गणित आणि संस्कृतची खूप गोडी होती. आमच्या घरात संस्कृत शिकलेले आम्ही तिघेच. मी, माझा भाऊ आणि आजोबा. अगदी शेवटपर्यंत, ८७ वर्षांचे आजोबा खडाखड चोवीस चा पाढा आणि देव-वन-माला म्हणायचे. आजोबांना मॅट्रिकला चांगले गुण मिळाल्यावर कोण्या गुरुजींनी त्यांना बी. एस्सी. ला ऍडमिशन घे असे सांगितले. तेव्हा आजोबांच्या ताईने तिचे थोडे दागिने मोडून आजोबांची फी भरली. आजोबा सांगायचे, की तेव्हा मुलाला पैसे कमवायला न लावता शिकू देणे, हेच खूप होते. त्यामुळे घरचे शिक्षणाची जबाबदारी घ्यायचे नाहीत. फी भरली म्हणजे भरपूर झाले. नंतर आजोबा नोकरीला लागले, बदलीच्या नोकरीमुळे अनेक शहरांत राहिले, एस्टॅब्लिशमेंट ऑफिसर म्हणून निवृत्त झाले. 'सेल्फ-मेड' म्हणतात ना, तसे होते ते. प्रचंड वाचन आणि गाठीशी आयुष्याचा अन��भवलेला रोलर कोस्टर. आजोबांचं गोष्टींचं गाठोडं एवढं जादुई का होतं, हे समजलं. त्यांनी सांगितलेल्या आणखीही काही गमती, आठवणी आहेत. त्या सगळ्याची गोष्ट पुन्हा केव्हातरी.

- स्वराली

[infinityandbeyondposts]

THE DECISION

She was here. Here in Mumbai, for Campus Princess. The next 15 days she would be residing with girls across India. She was eager and excited for the journey, the journey towards Miss Universe India. Throughout the 15 days she had an array of emotions flooding through her mind. She was anxious, nervous, happy, tired, excited, but also, homesick. She wasn’t sure if she was giving her best. After all, it was a big deal. But keeping all that packed in a corner of her brain she decided to soak in the experience. The schedule was tight. She had never worked from 3o’clock in the morning till 10o’clock in the night. The life that she was living there was nothing like the life at home.

As all the girls were actively engaging in the activities and giving stellar performances, she had something else on her mind that was bothering her. That small voice inside her head which kept reminding her of what was going on at home. “Everyone must be preparing for the exams right now, I may be the only one who is falling behind”, she thought to herself. “I don’t have the time to do my assignments here, what do I do once I’m back? What if I’m not able to catch up?”. The thoughts haunted her.

The day had arrived. Today was the selection. She really wanted to get selected. Getting selected would mean that she would have to spend another 30 days training with the Miss Universe India contestants, and would become a part of Times Talent. She would have a chance to represent India on an international platform. So many women would kill to have that opportunity. After a long and tiring day of auditions, when she least expected it, she heard her name. She got selected! She was ecstatic.

As time passed the feeling sunk in, her face lost its colour. This new announcement meant that she would have to miss out on her exams and consequently her entire year of Engineering. Amidst all the chaos, she saw her father walking into the room. With tears in her eyes, she hugged him. "What should I do?", she asked. On one side she was doing something unconventional which brought out her zealous and passionate self. On the other she had something that she enjoyed equally and gave her a home like, comfortable feeling.

The next day as she was scrolling through her Instagram feed, she saw the post, “Due to personal reasons, Surabhi Mudgal has resigned from the competition”, she had made her decision.

As for now, she still doesn't know if the decision she took was worthwhile. The truth is, no matter how carefully we reach a conclusion, we are always going to imagine a "parallel universe" for the choice we did not finalize on and that picture of an alternate future will never let us be sure of the present we chose.

- Surabhi

[infinityandbeyondposts]

#Learn_to_be_Happy

2-3 दिवसांपूर्वी नेहेमीप्रमाणे insta scroll करता करता एक post वाचली. 'Play hide and seek with a 2 year old who hides behind the same curtain and still laughs on being caught every time.' आणि मनापासून हसू आलं. लहानपणीप्रमाणे अशा छोट्या छोट्या गोष्टींमधून मिळणारा आनंद वेचणे आपण विसरत चाललोय का?

जसं जसं आपण "मोठ्ठं" होत जातो तशा आपल्या आनंदाच्या व्याख्या बदलत जातात, आपल्या अपेक्षा वाढत जातात. लहानपणी विमानाचा आवाज आल्यावर पळत पळत खिडकीत जाऊन विमान बघितल्यावरसुद्धा एवढा आनंद व्हायचा पण आता आनंदी होण्यासाठी आपल्याला एवढसं पुरत नाही. आपल्यासोबत आपल्या आनंदी होण्यासाठीची कारणं सुद्धा "मोठ्ठी" होत जातात.

लहानपणी 1 रुपया साठवून घेतलेल्या 4 चिंचेच्या गोळ्यांनी मिळणारा आनंद आता crazy cheezy मधे जाऊन पिझ्झा खाल्ल्यावरही मिळत नाही. हे काळानुसार आणि आपल्या वयानुसार होणारे बदल तर आपण टाळू शकत नाही पण स्वतःचा आनंद कशात आहे हे नक्की शोधू शकतो व त्यासाठी प्रयत्न करू शकतो.

प्रत्येकाचा आनंद वेगवेगळ्या गोष्टीत दडलेला असू शकतो. कोणाला खूप दिवसांनी एखादं आवडीचं गाणं ऐकल्यावर आनंद होईल, तर कोणाला एखाद्या अवघड गणिताचा उत्तर सापडल्यावर, एखाद्या ट्रेकरला उंच शिखर चढून गेल्यावर आनंद होईल, तर एखाद्या कवीला कव���ता मनासारखी पूर्ण केल्यावर...माझ्यासारख्या रोजचीच भरपूर जागरणं करावी लागणाऱ्या architecture student चा आनंद एखादेवेळी अचानकपणे रात्री 11च्या आत झोपायला मिळण्यात असेल.😜

अर्थात आनंद स्वतःपुरता मर्यादित न ठेवता आपण इतरांसाठी काहीतरी चांगलं काम करून त्यांनाही आपल्या आनंदात सहभागी करून घेऊ शकतो. आपण स्वतःसाठी तर वेळ काढतोच पण एखाद्या अंध मुलाचा पेपर लिहिण्यासाठी writer म्हणून जाणे, एखाद्या अनाथाश्रमात जाऊन तिथल्या मुलांसोबत गप्पा मारणे, त्यांना नवीन खेळ इ. शिकवणे ,अगदीच काही नाही तर traffic मूळे खूप वेळ थांबलेल्या एखाद्या आजोबांना रस्ता क्रॉस करून दिला तरी ते ज्या समाधानाने आपल्याकडे बघून हसतात तेव्हा त्यांच्या डोळ्यात न मावणारं आपल्याबद्दलचं कौतुक एक वेगळाच आनंद देऊन जातं.

ज्ञान प्रबोधिनी, आनंदवन, आपलं घर, वनवासी कल्याण आश्रम, स्नेहालय अशा अनेक संस्था सतत निरनिराळी सामाजिक कार्य आणि उपक्रम करतात. अशा एखाद्या कामात सहभागी होऊन, लोकांना मदत करून मिळणारा आनंद तर प्रत्येकाने आयुष्यात एकदा तरी अनुभलाच पाहिजे.

तर आपण सगळेच आपल्या रोजच्या धावपळीमधून आणि tight schedule मधून स्वतःच्या आणि इतरांच्या आनंदासाठी थोडासा वेळ काढुया व एक आनंदी आयुष्य जगूया.😊

- मृण्मयी

[infinityandbeyondposts]

The Grass is Greener on Both the sides..

Has it ever happened to you that you’re in a restaurant and while ordering for yourself, you look at someone else’s order (the food looks fancy) and you try to order something fancy just like that and end up having totally different than what you saw and expected? I bet most of you must have had experienced something like this for at least once in his/her life.

Now you all must be wondering why am I talking about this right? Well since I’m a foodie, I love to eat, cook and bake. So every time I try to follow a recipe for say a cake or a pastry, I always get at least a tiny hint of different flavour or texture on my dish than what was expected. So one day this got me thinking why do we all tend to compare in this way? And we all have been doing this directly/indirectly in some or the other way since we were a kid. From looking at your friend’s pencil case to comparing the grades, from trying to order the similar fancy food in restaurant to checking out someone else’s physical feature and envying it while slightly hoping somewhere deep down to have the same for yourself, from comparing the term work marks with your friends (who did exactly the same submission as yours) to dreaming about settling down abroad. We all somewhere, directly/indirectly keep on thinking that the grass is always greener on the other side.

Why do we do this? I know it’s natural human tendency but come to think about this a little further, I feel we humans are never satisfied with what we have on our side of the plate. We never look at what we have right now with us or even if we look we sometimes fail to appreciate it and thus end up looking on the other side. I won’t say comparing is a bad thing, but comparing without even appreciating what we have is not really a healthy habit. This envying and comparison leads us in believing that we have a lot to improve in ourselves. And I know it’s not wrong to think about improvising ourselves since we live in a world that changes rapidly and if we want to survive in it we have to keep up too. But in this race of doing better like others and surviving, can’t we just stop for a moment, take a break and look at ourselves and appreciate of what we have become? In this race we all somewhere forget to love ourselves and this sometimes leads us to depression and having different anxieties.

Today I want to request you all to stop for a moment, take a deep breath and look at yourself and say out loud what all good things you have on your side. Appreciate the taste that you got from the food you ordered, start loving the flow and texture that your pen/pencil gives you, find out your amazing physical feature that you absolutely love about yourself and for once try to explore your country before dreaming about settling abroad. Love yourself first in order to love someone or something else. Start admiring the paradise you have built up until now. After all in the end the grass will always remain greener on both sides, it’s just that this side might have roses with thorns while the other has lotus with the muddy water...

-Shweta

[infinityandbeyondposts]

#Traveldiaries 📔

Travel करणं म्हणजे फक्त नवीन गोष्टी पाहणं नसतं तर त्या गोष्टी आपल्यात रुजवणं असतं.

इयत्ता आठवीत असताना प्रबोधिनीतून आम्हाला विद्याव्रत शिबिरासाठी भोर ला नेलं होतं. प्रत्येकाजवळ आवश्यक ते सामान आणि २-३ पाण्याच्या बाटल्या होत्या. शिबिराच्या १-२ दिवसात घरून आणलेलं सगळ्यांचं पाणी संपून गेलं. आता तिथे गावात मिळतं ते पाणी पिण्यावाचून पर्याय नव्हता. पाण्याची चव वेगळी असल्याने प्रत्येकानेच नाकं मुरडली. पण पाणी ही मूलभूत गरज आहे आणि आपल्याकडे दुसरा काही पर्याय नाहीये हे लक्षात आल्यावर जे आहे तेच अमृत मानून आम्ही पुढचे दिवस न कुरकुर करता काढले. पाणी, छोटी पण तितकीच आवश्यक गोष्ट. ती सुद्धा ठिकाण बदललं की बदलते. ह्या बदलाला अनुसरून स्वतःत बदल करायला आम्ही शिकलो. 

अजून एक उदाहरण. चहाला वेळ नसते असं म्हणत आपण दर दोन दोन तासांनी चहा पित असतो.पण कडाक्याची थंडी असलेल्या प्रदेशात तोच चहाचा वाफाळता, गरमागरम कप हातात घट्ट धरल्यावर एक वेगळीच उब देऊन जातो आणि वेळेला चहाच लागतो ह्याची लख्ख जाणीव होते. चहाचा कप तोच असतो, आपणही तेच असतो पण ह्या प्रदेशबदलामुळे त्या चहाचा स्वभाव बदललेला असतो. त्यामुळे फक्त गोष्टी बदलत नाहीत तर त्यांचे स्वभाव, रंग, रूप, चव सगळं बदलत असतं.

मराठी,आपली मातृभाषा. ती सुद्धा दर काही अंतरावर बदलत असते. भाषेचा लहेजा, शब्दांचे उच्चार, स्थानिक शब्द ह्या सगळ्यातच वेगळेपण असतं. त्या बदललेल्या भाषेला "आपली नाही" असं म्हणून चालत नाही. ती जशी आहे तशी स्वीकारली तरंच आपलीशी होते.

Travel forces you to trust strangers. रोजच्या आयुष्यात अनोळखी माणसांशी deal करताना चार-चार वेळा तपासून घेणारे आपण, नवीन ठिकाणी गेल्यावर कितीतरी नवीन माणसांशी पटकन मैत्री करतो. नवीन ठिकाणच्या लोकांचं राहणीमान, चालीरिती कितीही नवीन आणि नं पटणारं असलं तरीदेखील त्याच्याशी जुळवून घेतंच आपल्याला पुढे जावं लागतं. 

एखादी foreign language शिकताना सगळ्यात प्राथमिक बदल आपण notice  करतो तो म्हणजे खाद्यसंस्कृतीत. Food is food, पण तेच बनवण्याची पद्धत बदलते, जिन्नस बदलतात आणि हेच नवे बदल स्वीकारून त्या पदार्थांची चव चाखायला हवी.

रोज दुचाकी आणि चारचाकी नी धावणारे आपण काही ठिकाणी मेट्रो तर अगदी सायकल रिक्षातून सुदधा धावून पाहतो.

तर असं सगळं जग फिरून परत��्यावर, आपलं घर तेच असतं पण आपल्या मनात आतमध्ये काहीतरी बदल झालेला असतो आणि तोच बदल सर्वकाही असतो.

एकूणात काय तर काही बदल हे सकारात्मक असतात तर काही नकारात्मक. काही गोष्टी आपण नकळतपणे स्वीकारतो तर काही गोष्टी स्वीकारणं आपल्याला भाग पडतं. एखादं नवीन ठिकाण हे आपल्याला आपल्या comfort zone मधून बाहेर पडायला लावतं आणि नवीन गोष्टी शिकवतं. काही नवीन गोष्टी घेऊन आपण पुढे जात असतो तर काही मागे ठेवून. Travel changes you and it should change you. एखादं नवीन ठिकाण हे त्याच्या स्वभाव, रंग,ढंग,संस्कृती,परंपरा ह्यासकट स्वीकारलं आणि त्या सगळ्याचा मनोमन आनंद घेऊ शकलो तरंच आपल्या ह्या travel diary चं प्रत्येक पान नवनवीन आणि सुदंर गोष्टींनी भरून जाईल.

-आदिती केळकर

[infinityandbeyondposts]

Uncertainty!

UNCERTAINTY! Life is revolving around this word for a few years. The happiest moments of life bring the worst moments along with them. Sometimes it’s too funny how within a few seconds our mind starts behaving differently. Maybe it’s his way of making us strong.

The people around you may not always understand what you are going through or sometimes it becomes extremely difficult to convey your emotions. But it’s ok! It’s our own journey towards happiness and we’re the ones to discover our own paths towards it. Then there come extremely low moments which are so strong and make us feel very weak, but we always have to believe that the best and happiest moment is following it.

Positivity is the only thing which can make us come out of these low moments. It may sound very typical or common to talk about it but it really plays a vital role. We all are surrounded by negative thoughts and people in some or other form. The minute we feel sad or demotivated, it’s negativity which starts ruling our mind. Giving time can probably be one of the best solutions. Just saying that this time will also pass can give us strength. We have the ability to use our mind as a magnet to attract all the positive thoughts. The only hurdle is believing in its power. We human beings just need some smile and love to overcome anything that life throws at us. So let’s just try and spread this beautiful positivity to make everyone happy!

- Aishwarya

[infinityandbeyondposts]

Let's meet ourselves again

If we look at it vaguely, then it’s one of the most common issues faced by our generation. But the question is ‘why has it become the most common issue?’ Yes, I am talking about anxieties.

A celebrity stands up and talks about their mental health issues, and it sets a trend. Some foundations are working on similar cases and for their treatments, but there are people who are not being able to identify, accept and talk about these issues.

Let me give you an example. I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, and I saw a meme, saying, ‘My life is a perfect example of a choreographed shit show’, Relatable much? Let me help you with that.

If you are not feeling happy or satisfied with what you have, I have a couple of things for you that might help:

One, think about what are the things that are bothering you or making you sad. Take a paper and make a list of such things. It sounds childish, but it does help. Now, if you’re thinking that I might tell you to work on it every day, then no, you don’t have to do anything about it. You just have to look at that list at the end of the day and think about which of these made you feel sad or scared that day, and trust me, without doing much, you’ll observe that these things don’t make you sad anymore!

Two, if you’re not feeling good and don’t want to write about it, then you can go out for a walk, but, without your phone. Try to talk and communicate with strangers. Yes, it’s crazy, but worth a try. You don’t have to talk about your worries or feelings, just a casual conversation will also make you feel better. At the end of the day, try to recollect everything, and think about how easy it is to open up, and you’ll realise that there are no barriers and insecurities now.

These things take time but they can be cured.

I may not be completely helpful, but these are the few things which helped me get out of it. I have faced similar issues, and more than 60% of the population are still facing them. So, all you people out there, this is not an issue to create memes about, this is an issue to make open conversations about!

-Vaishnavi

[infinityandbeyondposts]

THE COMPLETE BACKPACK

Ritu was an ambitious little girl. She was an enthusiast, who wanted nothing more than to excel at everything she did – may it be her academics, her artistic hobbies or even sports.

But Ritu’s mind was always cluttered. Whenever she started pursuing something, she would get distracted. After a while, her unfinished task would leave her depressed, at times frustrated. Certain things her friends said to her would continue to bother her, rendering her unable to deliver her full potential on the task at hand. Sometimes, the euphoria of her previous day’s achievements would lead to idleness the next day long.

No matter how much she tried to plan her activities and make a perfect schedule, these emotions always seemed to get the better of her.

A frustrated and confused Ritu, rushed off to her next-door best friend, Joshi Ajoba.

She narrated the complete situation to him. “I am unable execute all my plans inspite of making a proper timetable. Should I just give up Ajoba?” she said.

Joshi Ajoba smiled slightly as he gestured her to sit beside him. “Ritu, it is important to understand that our thoughts shape all our actions.” He said. “So, in order to achieve a particular goal, it is not just our actions that we must plan, but also our thoughts, emotions and actions should be shaped accordingly. I will suggest a morning ritual. Sit up straight, close your eyes. Cleanse your mind of every emotion that you have had, be it positive or negative. Remove all the thoughts that you have, all the regrets, all the depressing thoughts. All the botherations, debts, rules and obligations. Now, ask your mind, what it really wants in this limitless, boundless state. Where does it point? After you get your answer, rationally think of the things that you need to do for it, and plan how you want to execute them.”

Noticing her slightly confused expression, he explained further, “See Ritu, your mind is like a hiking rucksack, to pack the right stuff, in just the right way, you need to remove all that is in it. Then, you need to think of all that is required and put the necessary objects inside, and that too in the right fashion. Put all the positive thoughts, the motivation, your spirit; a calm, patient and happy attitude. And then, spend the day with only those contents in your sack. Wake up the next day, only to pack a new rucksack; better in terms of plans and actions; filled with even more positivity and kindness! Doing so, you will get a ‘complete’ bag pack for a fulfilling journey through the day!”

-Sai