Action Reaction

Action is good. At least, it is better than inaction and reaction. Even perfection!

Obsession with perfection often stops us from taking right action when it is needed to be taken. We fuss too much about nitty-gritties and fret too much about results. The fear of failure arising out of the exalted standards and grand pictures we have conjured in our own mind makes us dither and falter.

We don't realise that perfection is a mirage. Not only it is a fake ideal, it is quite pointless. Perhaps the point was best made by Ray Kroc when he said, "When you are green you grow. When you are ripe you rot."

Perfection takes us towards inaction and fear, and eventually when the thing is all over our head, reaction.

Focus instead on action. It infuses us with energy, helps us overcome fears and propels us to grow. Act even if the action looks unreasonable, dangerous and stupid... That's when we are with God, at our creative best, and give ourselves the best chance of becoming the best we can be.

Trishna

4th Jul 1987

Romance and ramanticism :) 

Shaam dhali toh humne socha

Shayad tum aaogi

Mast bol, komal kapol

Naagin zulfen lehraogi

Phir kal na aa paane ka kaaran

Vyathit hoke batlaogi

Vishwas dilakar, prem jatakar

Mand mand muskaogi

Premi man ki is vyakulta par

Man hi man harshaogi

Aur bharkar mujhko aanchal mein

Tum prem amrit varshaogi

Mere aalingan ke bandhan mein

Reh rehkar sakuchaogi

Aur raat dhale ghar jaane ki

Baat soch ghabraogi

Par phir bhi kal aane ka

Vaada karke hi jaogi

Shaam dhali toh humne socha

Shayad tum aaogi

Khamosh

3rd Feb 1986

Looking back, Khamosh is a revelation. Perhaps I always had a thing for the muted, the muffled, the maligned and the marginalised. Nothing good or bad. Just the thing... Also, I think this was the beginning of developing complex ideas using simple words and colloquial expressions. 

Vo jo samne khamosh khada hai

Yeh na samjho vo goonga hai

Uski zubaan band hai, par hausle buland hain

Vo goongon ko gaali nahi diya karta

Kyonki vo sher hai, buzdilon sa nahi jiya karta

Tumne jo kaha hai, usne sab kuchh saha hai

Ye chuppi hi uski shaan hai

Vo shayad issi se mahaan hai

Gar aisa na hota

Toh na poochho kya hota

Na tumhaara astitva hota

Na main tumse kuchh kehta

Ye chuppi uske bheetar ka ek raag hai

Shayad uske andar ek aag hai

Vo ek din zaroor bolega

Tumhaare saamne

Tumhaari kali shakhsiyat ka raaz kholega

Vo tumse tumhaari har karni ka jawaab mangega

Tum par tumhaari hi adalat mein mukaddma dagega

Aur uss din tumhaari koi na sunega

Kyonki-

Vo hi vakeel hoga aur faisla bhi vo hi dega…

'How To' Books

I hate ‘how to’ books, howsoever well written. 

I think that anybody suggesting that the big problems of my life can be reduced to a simple 5-step solution is an affront to my intelligence!

Give me instead a book that fuels my enquiry and gives me insights. 

Well that’s a tall order!

About Speed

Sometimes going slow is the fastest way to do it. 

If you have ever gone for a run, you would have, perhaps, experienced this strange phenomenon. That at the peak of your tiredness, your actual stride and pace is a lot slower than what you feel. You feel a lot is happening but the truth is that there is actually a lull.

Great athletes realise this. Though they do not stop at this stage but they stop pushing themselves too hard and come to terms with the 'slow down'. They allow an easy rhythm to set in. And soon they get into what every sportsman knows as the 'zone' where a lightness and effortlessness sets in and the speed and performance actually gets lifted to levels not possible otherwise.

We are often told to push ourselves when we are stressed and tired. And we have taken this advice too seriously.

Therefore we are not athletes or performers. We are just dispensers of to do lists!

   

Bhookh

12th Dec 1983
A juvenile idealistic, if pensive perspective of a fifteen year old. Kind of cute...

Sada se hi manushya aur bhookh ke beech

Hai dvand chala aaya

Insaan ne sada bhookh ko maarna chaaha

Kintu bhookh ne hamesha usse haraya

Vastav mein uss ne bhookh ko nahi

Bhookh ne use khaaya

Bhookh ne uss se kya kuchh nahi karvaya

Ek bhookh hi toh thi jiske aage

Insaan ne sada sir jhukaya

Bhookh ne usse chor banaya

Bhookh ne usse lootna sikhaya

Bhookh ne usse zalim banaya

Aur insaan ko insaan ka khoon sarvapratham

Shayad bhookh ne hi chakhaya

Bhookh ne hi insaan mein se naitikta ko nikala

Tatha uss ke bheetar ke shaitaan ko bhookh ne hi seencha aur paala

Bhookh ne manav ko

Sadachari se durachari banaya

Va usse atyachaar karna aur sahna

Sambhavtah bhookh ne hi sikhaya

Bhookh hoti hai to atyachar hote hain

Kuchh log karte hain aur kuchh log sahte hain

Vastutah, atyachar hote rahte hai

Jab tak manushya hai, bhookh bhi rahegi

Aur shayad jab tak bhookh hai atyachar bhi rahenge

Ye kal the, aaj hain aur sambhavtah kal bhi rahenge…