Measure to Measure

In our times of mind over matter, what do you do with the matters of the heart that the mind doesnt know?

You cheat your mind, And you cheat it with, what is considered the greatest contribution of British colonialism to the world... Whiskey! 

All you need to know is your measure. Which is not an easy task, because to each is his own, and it only comes with experience. Only a regular, will one day realise that perfect balance. 

But you'll know when you figure out your load, because at that blessed moment, your mind will be sane enough to know that it has surrendered to the heart, and your heart will know that it dominates the mind. 

The best part about figuring out your load is that, you'll stop drinking heavy. Because Your mind gets intoxicated and you realise the beauty of your drunk, delarious & delusional heart. And you'll find this experience a lot more pleasureable than just drinking till you drop. You'd want to reach that state again and again. 

There's only one problem, that even this social and at times solitary indulgence has today become a matter of competition. How heavy you drink has become an expression of masculinity, and both men and women are trying to outdo each other in being a "bigger man". I wonder if they could ever enjoy drinking? 

So let go of the competition, and the next time you drink, try to take a break from your boring brains and allow your heart to go wild. You never know if your heart might enlighten you in ways your mind can never imagine. 

And don't hit it hard, hit it right, and please don't drink and drive 

The Proud Father Fixation

One of the most basic of human needs is that of social acceptance & endorsement. And for most Indian sons & daughters the need for that need begins at home. For us, no matter how successful we ever become, it only counts if it makes out parents proud, more so our fathers. Success can make us feel accomplished, important & give you a sense of achievement, but we will never find that sense of contentment unless our achievements are endorsed by our dad.

I wonder what creates that indebted feeling amongst us, probably the pressure of a patriarchal lineage, or maybe because they pay our bills, I don't know, but for some un-understood reason we tend to cling on to that obligation forever & ever & ever.....

This whole business of  "Proud Parents" is really a double edged sword. If your parents are easily impressed, and don't expect too much to begin with, then contentment might come too early, and you may not realize your true potential, but if your parents are never impressed, then you might spend your life trying to prove your point to them, and be like a fish out of water.

But, there is a question, is it possible to get rid of that feeling altogether, to stop that factor from being the driving force behind our lives, and to find purpose in things that are more meaningful. Because if we are able to liberate ourselves from this cheese chase, we are likely to either realize our true potential or atleast find contentment in a more consequential pursuits.

Einstein said that if you want a happy life, tie yourself to goals and not people or things. And who knows, one day when you are a great man, and you are content with your achievements, you might just  sit together with your father, and share your scotch as equals. 

The myth behind a morning person!

If someone asks you to describe a morning person, you are likely to have a distinct , unambiguous image in your mind. A serious, disciplined, pragmatic & active person, for whom, his sleep is a calibrated component of his calculated life. A person who would wake up early, and diligently observe his morning chores. He'll get the milk, the morning newspaper, get a quick workout & make himself a cup of tea.

But what if I tell you that this somber image is a facade, behind which, is a person who enjoys his inertia, a lot more than he enjoys his sleep. Because after he is done with his minor morning chores, he would just lean on an armchair, sip his cup of tea, and escape into a world of solitude & silence.

Most people doze off and sleep to recover from the perpetual grind of modern living. But some, seek comfort in getting up early, and giving themselves an opportunity to experience, the slowness of the passing time. To them, the awareness about the nothingness, the silence, the peace is a lot more comforting than the paralysed ignorance of sleeping. For them, this inertia Is the method by which they prepare to themselves for the tough day ahead. 

Therefore, in a way, there is not much of a difference between the people who sleep late and people who are up early, both of them value lazyness just as much as the other. 

But really, in our times, in which, life is described as fast paced & stressful, an experience of slowness is quiet invaluable. 

So rather than sleeping forever you'd rather wake up early and begin your day by giving yourself a break. 

Good morning! 

Victims of branding

By  far the most prominent victims of branding in Delhi have to be the "Fashion Victims". One wonders, how people can get it so wrong, but it seems, as long as you are wearing a brand  it really doesn't matter if it makes them look like a Monkey wearing makeup.  Just take a walk around connaught place, and you'll see these walking talking mannequins flashing around there brand labels. And no matter how unseemly they look , they carry it off with confidence. 

What amazes me the most is that, people don't realize that they look pretentious and are genuinely ignorant. The clothing that they wear may be completely unsuited, but they blindly believe that the brand makes them look good. 

But that is the magic of marketing, ins't it? It creates "Brand Identities" that are so big, that people loose faith in their own perception, and eventually start trusting a fictitious identity created by a brand manger. Almost like idol worship. 

However, fashion needs visual perception, and maybe some people  don't  have a good eye for clothes. But, how can tastebuds go wrong?

You don't need be a connoisseur to tell the difference between a good coffee & a bad coffee, anyone can tell the difference. But apparently, taste is the last priority for the coffee brands. The priority is to make the place a "Babe Magnet". If Beautiful women start liking the place, everyone else will follow eventually. And if people have a problem with the coffee, then so be it.

The truth is that some brand find leverage points in our consumption behavior, and seduce us when we are the most susceptible to believing in there idea. And once we are hooked, we let go of our perception and eventually our judgement. Some brands are so misleading that they hijack our perception and make us consume products that are almost sub-standard.

It is quiet impossible to prevent ourselves from getting hooked by brands. But we can prevent getting cheated. As consumers we must realize our faith in the five senses, and use our intrinsic perception & judgement to make better choices.