No GOATS, only the great warriors!

One of the key sporting things that I am looking forward to in 2024 is the comeback of Rafael Nadal to Tennis. Every time he made a comeback in the past, he had also made a statement with his unbelievable play. This looks to be the last possible comeback though! Hoping to see him enjoying what he does out there and recreate some of his magical shots again. Seeing him holding a grand slam trophy would just be a bonus, nevermind really. 

With that I also want to express views about the whole GOAT topic. I completely believe there is no meaning to compare players, be it with their contemporaries or with the players from a different timeline altogether. Numbers speak, of course, but they don't speak enough to name anyone the GOAT. Ridiculous is what I feel that this entire GOAT debate is. 

There have been great warriors in the sports; take anyone, name anyone. Let's see them so. Let's not put them together and draw any kind of conclusions, which none of them deserve. 

Simple. 

No GOATs. Only the great warriors. 

Nadal is undoubtedly one of the greatest warriors Tennis has seen! Not 'the greatest' as written in the picture above! 

One of the best advises!

One of the best advises I picked up in my career is the following: 

"Don't question like a master. Ask like a student"

I noticed this advise being given to a colleague. We were fresh from college back then without knowing much about what to do in the corporate world. More than what to do, we were unsure of how to do or how not to, rather. 

That was the time I picked up this advise. Believe me, it stayed with me till date. Even after fifteen years of career, I haven't developed that way of questioning like a master. Be it with seniors or peers or juniors, asking like a student is something I do, consciously and subconsciously as well. It has become a part of life by now. A good part to be specific, that I feel good about myself. 

Shopping and weight reduction!

After "bank balance", the most significant thing that shopping reduces is 'weight'. 

Live electric vehicle apps showing the amount of CO2 saved, retail brands can showcase the amount of calories burned out by a person in their outlet, and probably can incentivize it at the time of billing! 

Shopping malls aka small-scale gyms!

And food courts do the balancing act though! 

Such a provocative yet useful ecosystem. 

Can anti-suicidal devices prevent suicides?

Back in 2000, when I was in the first year of intermediate course after schooling, was when I first encountered a situation that made me ask myself if anti-suicidal devices prevent suicides! There was a student who committed suicide by hanging herself to the fan. After few weeks, another student jumped off from top floor, to death. In the next few days, the management had installed iron mesh to the balconies of the our hostel. In those days, no one managed to invent the anti-suicidal fans, otherwise they would have installed them as well. Just like how the anti suicidal fans have been installed in some of the hostels in Kota, Rajasthan, after a few students took their lives succumbing to the JEE-stress. Here I ask again, can anti-suicidal devices prevent suicides? May be they will reduce the number of cases happen due to that particular device, but in totality they won't. Everyone is aware of this simple fact, but not many seem bothered. They just don't want it to happen in their hostel or apartment. It can very well continue in the neighborhood

So much of stress the JEE aspirants especially go through that it's nearly impossible with the current way of affairs to prevent the suicides. Competition is huge, seats are less. Again, increasing the seats is not the solution that I think is ideal. Making the students believe that if not JEE, there are many means of proving oneself, many ways of living a dream life. This doesn't mean one must not aspire to be cracking the JEE, but if one cannot do that, the world doesn't end. Students to get this incepted thoroughly in their minds and hearts. Who can do that? Parents, teachers, professors, mentors, friends and many more can actually take ahead this thinking through the minds and hearts of the aspirants. 

Whoever says whatever, at the end of the day one needs to have their own thinking in a certain way to stand up and face the results. 

Commercialized education has succeeded in making students fragile year after year, decade after decade, so much so that they won't have any other thought than taking their own lives upon failure. 

Fantasized wishes of parents have succeeded in pushing their children to the corner, from where they see no one to share what they are going through or thinking about. 

Innovative products are now being looked at to prevent the suicides. After all , people who are thinking so are also the products of the same education system!

Nothing is in stars, it's all in our minds. 

Parents must take first steps to not let their children feel cornered if they don't crack competitive exams. 

Teachers must stand by the students irrespective of their merit. After all, every student is unique. 

Government must take steps towards eradicating the commercialization in education. Must improve the quality of colleges, teaching staff, teaching aids and many more necessities to make sure students get opportunities to explore their interests and strengths. 

Friends must cheer up each other beyond the ranks, grades and all those materialistic things that are relative in nature, but don't demonstrate the capabilities of any of their friends. 

One must be strong from within to give it all to something that's desired but stay strong in the situation takes it away. 

Not anti-suicidal devices, but improving the thinking methodology can definitely prevent suicides. This needs collective efforts of all the stakeholders. 

Celebrating together - ParenthoodDiaries #62

I overserved my five year old boys playing cricket at home, one day. One of them was blowing and the other one was swinging the bat. They played few balls & shots. One ball touched the stumps and he got out. Surprising to me, they both started enjoying that moment together, saying "Yaay... out". 

I realized that going by basics, theirs is a valid reaction. Considering that the ball hit stump, they were enjoying that crucial moment of the game irrespective of what's going to happen the next minutes. After that, the one bowing continues to bowl and the one batting continued to do so. They basically were just continuing to do their job. 

When we know what we need to be doing, nothing else matters. Doesn't matter if you get out or something else happens. The moment we start relating the out situation to the fact that you need to leave the crease, there starts the thought process and so as the unnecessary stress that comes with! 

Celebrate things out, irrespective of their outcome. Differentiate what needs a response and what needs just acceptance, in life. 

Efficiency - Take Home #682

 Make people around you more efficient, to be more efficient together. 

Kids and their enjoyment - ParenthoodDiaries #61

I have observed that kids enjoy the things in their hand. Toys, books, pens, flowers, water, papers and what not. They enjoy them thoroughly, so much that we can learn a lot about how to be happy with what we have. 

And when they have nothing in their hand, they start enjoying the moon, the sun, the air, the clouds and so on. They find their happiness. How blissful that thinking is!

Movie: Animal

There is nobody like anybody. Everyone is unique, so is the story of each. 

While some movies portray the protagonist as a super human, some portray as somebody else. Some portray in a unique way, so is the case I feel with Animal. Many termed it as misogynic, but I couldn't get that flavor of misogynic in a character that stands for sisters, loves the father beyond practical possibilities, submits to the woman of his life to silently take the tight-slaps when on wrong foot. 

The entire movie has been an emotional roller coaster ride. The antagonist' portray is although questionable in some sequences, it's been beautifully played by Bobby Deol. Fit or misfit, not sure what to call Rashmika! She could have done it better for sure. I read that Parineeti Chopra was the first choice for that role, she would have done a splendid job. This script lost her. 

Ranbir Kapoor gave in everything to the character. Wonderful job done by him. Liked many sequences of the movie. Script work could have been more deeper, but I believe some sequences are left for the Animal Park! 

Those who could not take the 'misogyny' for over three hours, I wonder what they would have ever done to save someone from misogyny in real life. There seems to be no problem with misogyny in real life, unless it happens to us. In films it shall not be portrayed! I no means support this kind of thinking. 

Freedom of expression and cinematic liberty are needed to bring up good stories to audience. There can be no restrictions as to what type of people are shown in movies. Watch a movie like a movie, especially when it's a fictional story. 

Looking forward to Animal Park.