Living or Rushing?

Hey Friends, I had a quick thought when I read one big mail among many of the forwarded mails, which I received today... I usually ignore such BIG mails, once i find it boring or useless after reading the first 3-4 lines of it... But this mail though being a big mail, made me sit and read completely today - during my 4th day break time of my ITIL training session. I feel really happy about reading this mail during the break time itself. It gave me a chance to rethink on my life style and I hope may be some of you, like me would also find it helpful.

Author talks about the need of quality living over fast living... He uses some simple examples which might make us stop reading for a while and put us in a thinking mode... For example, He says about the FAST FOOD era here, which in real life shows how fast we people are trying to live… The real enjoyment in eating comes when we enjoy our food... i.e. when we take our time to taste the food that we eat… So what are we expecting from something called fast food??? Instead in this era people are rushing and rushing... And while rushing, I feel that we people usually forget to live our CURRENT LIFE... Why are we rushing?? Why we always want to finish everything in a hurry?? There is no answer… Why do we expect an immediate result in everything we do? Confused?? To help us to get an answer, the author talks about the point of slow living...

He talks about the life style of people in Sweden. Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to possess a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

According to the author, this no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living. According to him, this stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

I totally agree with the author on this point. What is the use of working 8 hours a day with a frustrated or tensed mind?? Neither the work will be done nor the person going to have a peace of mind. I would rather go with working 2-3 hours, with a happy and a dedicated mind. In fact the productivity will be better in this case than the former scenario. It is the same case in everything that we do in life. I strongly feel that we should first live our life than getting anxious about the future living. Because the anxiety never ends as long as there is future and once the future is o more, there ends our so called life. He has quoted a film dialogue which goes like this “The life is lived in an instant”, which in fact is true, because no one is guaranteed on his future.

We all have time to live in this world, but what really matters in the end is how long we LIVED than preparing for the future living. So friends, one question to you people… Are you LIVING your life or still rushing? Give it a thought… Time for me to rejoin the ITIL class, Thanks to that anonymous author for giving such a beautiful thought for me… I would be happier, if this small piece of thought could make some of you to do a rethinking on making their life a LIVING than RUSHING.
Cya…

Waiting...with a heart full of hopes....

My eyes were wet while writing this post...This is the story of my good old friend Manjukkutty, Whom I consider as one of the most interesting characters I have ever met in my lifetime.. We came to know each other through yahoo chat... She was very friendly, funny and moreover very open...She speaks whatever comes in her mind... and that matches with my wavelength a lot... We used to talk all craps under the sun...Firstly it was like more chatting and less talking... then gradually more talking and less chatting.. And finally only talking! The Good thing about her was that, I could tell her or ask for any kind of advice or suggestions... Because of her straight forward character, I always got a valid answer or solution... We were like friends forever.. We made each other to laugh a lot.. And she was too good with her typical KOTTAYAM slang and me with my Thrissur slang...

She has got her own style of starting the conversation; she used to say - "Jithuchettaaayiye, enna undu vishesham?" It was so sweet listening to her talk... And the way she talks, always made me feel closer to her.. But trust me it wasn’t anything like love or so called infatuation.. It was just an admiration towards her pleasant, friendly and positive attitude... she was very bold and straight forward...

Whenever I felt sad, I preffered talking to her so that I feel good... She is too good to be called a mood setter. We used to talk at least once in a week or so. We never had any communication gap between us. But we could not talk to each other whenever she goes to meet her aunty who lives in Chennai. But she used to inform me in advance whenever she goes out of station; so that wasn’t a big point of concern.

Usually the problems in any friendship occur whenever there is a communication gap. And it’s too tough especially for people those who are very close. The same thing happened in our case... At a point of time, I started getting a feeling that she is avoiding me.. There is no energy when she talk.. No enthusiasm... always hurries to end the call...Our conversation has come down to just saying - hi, how are you etc. It has become so formal and her unusual behavior made me upset... I felt like she is hiding something from me...

One day when I tried calling her, her mobile was switched off.. And was the same condition for many days... And finally I got her on the phone after 2-3 weeks... And when I asked her, she said she had been to meet her aunty in Chennai and cut the call saying she is very busy. I really got frustrated of her weird behavior. She always used to inform me before she go for such long outstation tours and this time she did not even inform me.. I felt very bad, and I thought she is no more interested in our friendship, so it is good to put a full stop to this rather than carrying this friendship forward in such a short version manner.

The next day, I called her up and asked for the reason why she avoids me.. She said that I am thinking too much about that and that is the reason why I feel so... I got a bit emotional, told everything that came into my mind, though I could hear her crying at the other end. I cut the call by saying that I would never call her up again.

She called me several times after this incident and I was so angry and sad, that i did not even bother to pick her call. But 2 days later, I received a sms from her which read like this - “Jithu, I want to talk to you.. something very serious.. And please talk to me, else I may not be able to...Please call me for God's sake.." I called her up soon after getting this sms.. And for my surprise, I could hear my old friend Manju with her energetic voice and funny slang.. She asked me to repeat those funny dialogues and talks, which made her, laugh for hours in the past... That day she laughed a lot.. We spoke over more than 2 hours. That day after the call, I was so happy and I felt like, I got my friend back in life.. But that night I received another sms from her which goes like this “Dear Jithu, Thanks a lot for making me laugh and reminding all those good old days.. I am so happy to know that you are not angry with me... I may not be able to talk to you ever like this because I will leave very shortly... I will miss you for sure". I called her up soon and at the other i could hear to her crying... when I asked her about the matter, she told me about her heart problem and about the fact that she will be alive only for maximum of 1-2 months... She is having this heart problem for the last 3-4 years... She used to go to Chennai for her medical checkup and not for meeting her aunty. She was made to believe that it’s not a serious problem by her parents. But however, she happened to know about the truth now. The doctors had confirmed that she will not survive for more than a month but they still have a ray of hope on the final surgery which is a do or die situation.. They have come back to Kerala for the last time before they go to Chennai for that final Surgery.

She tried to avoid me because she did not want me to know all these. But when I felt sad and got emotional because of her behavior, she too felt bad. And that is why she thought of telling all these to me... I was shocked to hear all these from her... She told me that next day, they are taking her to a hospital in Chennai for the last try, but the chances are very less... Though I tried my best to boost up her confidence, nothing seems to be helpful.. Her voice was loud and clear when she said "I know that I will not survive". I was speechless after hearing all these.. But what amazed me the most was that, she did not cry over the phone that time.. Instead she tried to make me laugh my imitating her funny slang and by saying her old punch dialogues.. But I could not laugh... I was like frozen.. I did not know what to say... I was totally disturbed... though she was laughing loud, I could feel the pain she has inside... The final words of her were like this.. "Jithuchettaayiye... Just wish me all best na... Please take care.. And always smile and miss me....I will miss you very badly... I will speak to you soon if I am alive..tatttatta" and she hung up... I cried a lot that night... I tried calling her up after sometime.. But her mobile was switched off...

It’s been more than 3 months since I spoke to her...I still could not believe the story what she told.. I really wish if she was fooling me.. I still have her conversations recorded with me.. I listen to that whenever I think about her...I still try calling her up hoping to talk to her.. But now, instead of the "mobile is switched off" message, I could hear the "Number has been temporarily disconnected" message.. I am sure that she can’t go like this... Sooner or later, I will get a call from her with her trademark dialogue - "Jithuchettaaayiye..."

Manjukkuttiee.. If you are reading this.. Please stop playing, I am tired of your pranks... please call me and talk to me... I miss you a lot....I will be still waiting for your call... Waiting...with a heart full of hopes....