I often wonder: do I always HAVE to follow one faith, one scripture, one guru, one philosophy and belong to one group of people? 

I look around and see that there is so much wisdom and enlightenment available from different sources all around me – including from those who are not considered to be very wise or great.  I love jotting down words of wisdom whenever I come across them, and improve my thinking, attitude, knowledge. 

That is what children do.

I learn from everyone, but I do not belong to any one ideology – and sometimes that makes me an outcast from people who have the attitude of, “If you are not with us, you are against us.”

Any suggestions how to resolve this?

As I type this on my keyboard, I am reminded of the days when we used to write with pen on paper.  And also of my childhood when we used ‘fountain’ pens.  My grandfather used to talk about how they wrote with a nib dipped in an inkpot.

We moved to typewriting, computers, texting, social media, voice-mails, reels – and now Artificial Intelligence, which writes for you.

Since the days when the caveman started drawing on stones, to the invention of paper, to printing machines and computers – we have come a long way. No one writes or reads anymore.  But I still cherish handwritten notes.  I have two box-files of personal notes I have received, from 3 pages letters to 3 line notes.

Let the old order yield to the new and the newer, I still rely on my Original Intelligence (OI) rather than on AI.

I look around and see that people are hardly stepping out of their houses – restaurants have more Swiggy delivery agents, Malls seem to be empty, meetings and seminars have become on-line.

The after-effects of Covid have truly become the “new normal” and face-to-face interaction is reducing consistently. People prefer to be in their cocoons and social interaction at personal level has reduced.

Visiting friends, going to the street corner for pani-puri, watching movies in a cinema theater, shopping for daily needs, or just taking a walk in the park, have become less and less.

Please keep aside your mobiles and revive the human touch once again, feel the warmth and sense of belonging.

Study Tips: Boring AND Difficult Subjects

On an average you study at least 5 or 6 subjects every year.  Some are actually interesting, some are not very interesting but at least they are easy so you breeze through them, while inevitably there are some that are boring and difficult at the same time.  How do you tackle them?  Do you tend to neglect them till the last moment, or avoid studying them unless absolutely necessary?

Try to change your attitude towards them and see what happens.  We are in the time of the year when you still have months for your annual or semester exams, so this is the right time to experiment:  Every time you sit down to study, pick up the textbook of the most boring subject.  Tell yourself that you will study it for only 15 minutes, not more.  Set an alarm if need be.  Then take up the book and focus on a particular topic, chapter, definition or calculation.  Keep reading, analyzing and understanding only that particular topic.  When your time is up, jot down a few crucial points from what you have learnt.  Keep that little note pinned on a notice board, or under a glass, and move on to what you consider more interesting subjects.  When you finish your study session, or when you are through for the day, read and revise what you had written on the note.

The next day start the same process again.  First revise the points of yesterday, study the “boring” subject for 15 minutes, and move on.  Slowly start either increasing the time span of your study, or give yourself more of the 15 minute slots in a day.  Every time that you understand and grasp even one small bit of the “boring” subject, it will start becoming interesting.  Of course, when you get stuck, seek immediate help and clarification so that you do not leave the topic pending.

Identifying difficulties in children:  Many children come to 10^th standard and then their teachers and parents realize that due to some special needs they may not be able to pass in one or more subjects.  This sets off a panic and assessments are done urgently to claim exemptions or change the curriculum etc.  In a nice move the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has asked all its affiliated schools to detect specific learning disabilities in children at an early age, preferably in primary school.  This will ensure that proper guidance is given to such children.  The challenge now is to identify and recruit expert special educators who can do the needful.