Ah! So finally here’s a topic that’s close to my heart and hopefully yours as well- The Art of Loving. Love is a word that has different connotation for everyone. It might be the smile of a dear friend for one while it can be the blessings of the parents for the other. Love might be a lot of money for me but for you, it might be a smiling baby calling you Maa. And pretty obviously, love for a teenaged guy can be the girlfriend (or girlfriends, whichever is applicable!) or the boyfriend (if you are in US!). Don’t the Emotions seem to have one thing in common- the power of defying the logic? Why is love not logical? Why is it an Art?
Before we discuss why is Love an Art, let’s try to understand Art first. R.G. Collingwood was of the view that “art expresses emotions, and that the work of art therefore essentially exists in the mind of the creator.” Emotions are the outputs of complex algorithms running in billions of the neurons in our minds interacting with each other through trillions of dendrites sending electric pulses that represent the impact of the previous experiences and the state of mind. Huh! But what is Art? Collingwood has already said that “Art expresses emotions.” So, in effect, Art is the output on canvas, of complex algorithms running in billions of the neurons in our minds interacting with each other through trillions of dendrites sending electric pulses that represent the impact of the previous experiences and the state of mind. Wow! Now when we know what an art is, let’s try to find out why is love an art?
Not that quick buddy, there are some more questions lined up for you. Don’t worry, you’ll find your answers from these questions only. Why do you cross countries for just a kiss? (Trust me, people do that!) Have you ever noticed a mother talking to her infant baby in babbles that have no meaning at all in Logical terms, but still Loving it to the best? Isn’t it easy to say those three words (“I Love You”) to girlfriend than your wife? (Married readers will agree with me.) Now the million dollar question: Why is Love an Art? And why did I choose my topic as The Art Of Loving? Try answering the questions above and discuss it with your friend and you’ll find some different answer, for sure. And that’s the reason we do not have 2+2=4 in love. In love, 2+2 can be 8 (naughty minds!) or 2. Love amplifies itself when its receiver- the heart- receives the positive signals. Love develops an unknown connection with someone whom you never knew and didn’t have any prior information about. Love isn’t a technology that you can buy and use. Neither is it a science where you can calculate the right amount of smile and the body language that you would use to develop a particular kind of relation with someone (not necessarily the opposite sex). Love is abstract and love is shapeless. It has no boundaries, no definitions and no characteristics. It happens at the click of a moment and then lives there deep in your heart forever.
And that it happens to everyone in different ways, is the reason why it’s an art.
Copyright © 2009, Arun Sharma. All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
No Criminals Please!!!
A brilliant campaign by Times of India- LeadIndia, has forced me to tell you people about it. For long period now, we've been crying about the fate of India whose administration is governed by a group of criminals, black-marketeers, uneducated but cunning politicians. But when was the last time when we realised that the reason for this entire thing was none other than we ourselves? Had we opted to vote for the right person, or atleast to vote, the situation would've been entirely different. I am really amazed to find that all political parties have been tying to vow the youth power this time and this was predicted atleast 5-10 years back that India will be a nation of youth by 2010. This clearly signifies that the youth of this country have to take up the responsibility now to take this nation ahead of all the other super-powers of the world. And that's possible only if our policies are in place which in turns depends upon the people who formulate them.
As the campaign has put it very rightly that we don't expect the political parties to put up statesmen to govern us but the least they can do is to prevent criminals from entering the politics. I don't know about other parts of the country, but my state Punjab has a tainted chief minister and deputy chief minister and I'm very ashamed of this. These crorepatis have accumulated so much of wealth using corrupt means and methods. But still we vote for them and never care about how they create the policies for our benefit and development. It's high time that we wake up and let them know that they don't deserve to be our representatives any more.
I urge everyone of you to be a part of this campaign and spread the word to everyone around you.
Every Vote Counts!
www.nocriminals.org
Friday, February 27, 2009
TATA Jagriti Yatra 2008
I came to know about the Yatra from an official communication mail from the Corporate and I was impressed by the idea as soon as I saw the details on their website. The idea was to take 350 guys (and girls, ofcourse) in the age-bracket of 18-25 years from all over India to 18 role models spread over 12 cities across the length and breadth of the country on a train in 18 days. It seemed nothing short of a Herculean task to me because the things that can go wrong outnumbered the optimistic opinions by huge margins. But then again, it was a challenge that I was ready to accept. I knew that this is the best chance that God has given me to go around the country and to have more fun on the way, he gave me the option of choosing my company from among 349 other people- girls, boys, Marathi, Bangla, Tamils, Telugu, Punjabis, Delhites, Gujjus, scientists, journalists, entrepreneurs, Radio Jockeys, Teachers, engineers- all kinds of people. And my intuition was right, this Yatra proved to be life-changing in more than one ways. We started off from Mumbai, went to Trivandrum, then Kanyakumari, Pudduchery, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bhubneshwar, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Delhi, Tilonia, Anand and back to Mumbai. Meetings with several role models, interacting with the organizing team, talking to the other yatris and discussing the issues of national importance changed the perspective of looking at life. For the first time, I realized how important is the Bottom of the Pyramid talked about by CK Prahlad (in Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid). People are fighting through their lives to provide cloth to the poor, to create business models for the needed, to create self-reliant economies, to preserve water, to preserve wild-life and greenery, to kill the dependence of rural India on urban India. There was a lot to see and a lot to learn.
A journey that began as an experiment and that finished with an imprint in the pages of history, was the journey of a lifetime for the yatris. From Kanyakumari in the south to New Delhi in the north and from Jamshedpur in the east to Tilonia in the west, the TATA Jagriti Yatra sent the message across India that Youth is the power of today and tomorrow. Not only did it bring like-minded people from as diverse backgrounds as scientists to radio jockeys, from politicians to automotive engineers, from cardiologists to social entrepreneurship students and from businessmen to social workers, together, it also enthused our morales to an unprecedented high. During the course of the Yatra, we knew that we were being changed as human beings, changed as citizens and changed as entrepreneurs. On one side where we saw R Elango from Kuttumbhakam village in Chennai working day in and day out to develop a localized self-reliant economy of villages, Anshu Gupta on the other side, was witnessed struggling hard to reach out through his organization Goonj.. to the poorest of the poor to cover their naked shivering bodies with clothes deemed to be useless. Even Dr. V from Arvind Eye Hospital at Puducherry never retires to inspire the spirit of watching India from the eyes of all Indians and Bunker Roy never pauses to provide the poor with the skill to earn food in the deserts of Rajasthan by means of his Barefoot College at Tilonia. Yatris found the story of Tata Steel and JUSCO to be as intriguing as the enthusiasm of Joe Madiath working in the tribes of Orissa. Apart from learning the key themes of self-reliance, perseverance, focused approach and economic viability, Yatra also gave me an opportunity to know the people of India from so close. We lived in the train, ate at the platforms, bathed in the washrooms, danced in the chair-cars and enjoyed every bit of it. TATA Jagriti Yatra has given me the opportunity to shed my inhibitions towards the social entrepreneurship and has given a direction and focus to my life. At 09:40 am on 11th Jan 2009 at Mumbai Central, when the train receded to its yard for the one last time, not to be seen again with the Yatra, tears trickled down the eyes of the Yatris. Wet eyes bid a final see-off to the Yatra with a promise to be the Yatris forever, to be the learners forever and to be the agents of change. For ever.
(For you guys, I’d strongly suggest you to be a part of the Yatra next time. And guess what! I have been nominated to the Communications team and given the charge for Punjab and J&K for the NGO’s activities. The NGO is Jagriti. Go to www.jagritiyatra.com for more information.)
A journey that began as an experiment and that finished with an imprint in the pages of history, was the journey of a lifetime for the yatris. From Kanyakumari in the south to New Delhi in the north and from Jamshedpur in the east to Tilonia in the west, the TATA Jagriti Yatra sent the message across India that Youth is the power of today and tomorrow. Not only did it bring like-minded people from as diverse backgrounds as scientists to radio jockeys, from politicians to automotive engineers, from cardiologists to social entrepreneurship students and from businessmen to social workers, together, it also enthused our morales to an unprecedented high. During the course of the Yatra, we knew that we were being changed as human beings, changed as citizens and changed as entrepreneurs. On one side where we saw R Elango from Kuttumbhakam village in Chennai working day in and day out to develop a localized self-reliant economy of villages, Anshu Gupta on the other side, was witnessed struggling hard to reach out through his organization Goonj.. to the poorest of the poor to cover their naked shivering bodies with clothes deemed to be useless. Even Dr. V from Arvind Eye Hospital at Puducherry never retires to inspire the spirit of watching India from the eyes of all Indians and Bunker Roy never pauses to provide the poor with the skill to earn food in the deserts of Rajasthan by means of his Barefoot College at Tilonia. Yatris found the story of Tata Steel and JUSCO to be as intriguing as the enthusiasm of Joe Madiath working in the tribes of Orissa. Apart from learning the key themes of self-reliance, perseverance, focused approach and economic viability, Yatra also gave me an opportunity to know the people of India from so close. We lived in the train, ate at the platforms, bathed in the washrooms, danced in the chair-cars and enjoyed every bit of it. TATA Jagriti Yatra has given me the opportunity to shed my inhibitions towards the social entrepreneurship and has given a direction and focus to my life. At 09:40 am on 11th Jan 2009 at Mumbai Central, when the train receded to its yard for the one last time, not to be seen again with the Yatra, tears trickled down the eyes of the Yatris. Wet eyes bid a final see-off to the Yatra with a promise to be the Yatris forever, to be the learners forever and to be the agents of change. For ever.
(For you guys, I’d strongly suggest you to be a part of the Yatra next time. And guess what! I have been nominated to the Communications team and given the charge for Punjab and J&K for the NGO’s activities. The NGO is Jagriti. Go to www.jagritiyatra.com for more information.)
Monday, February 2, 2009
Naandi Foundation
A unique foundation in itself, Naandi Foundation in Bangalore seems to work with a motto of “Serve and survive.” Led by Manoj Kumar since 2000, Naandi focuses on three major issues of Child Rights, Safe Drinking Water and Sustainable Livelihoods. During the visit at one of their largest kitchens in Asia, serving more than 1.5 lakh students every day on an average, we witnessed the optimized use of technology in meeting the purpose. The success story of the Naandi foundation can be adjudged from the fact that in just about 10 years of its foundation, it has spread its wings across India. The best thing about the interaction with Manoj Kumar was his clear direction and motive to have a session with us. “I agreed to have this session with 350 young entrepreneurs, not because of charity but because I hope atleast 200 of you will join the foundation…,” said Manoj. His determination of not doing anything small is shared by his team in full faith. The beauty of the Naandi foundation is that is works as a corporate and hates to call itself an NGO. Just like any other corporate, it has a focus on sustainability of business, scalability- horizontal and vertical, and earning profits. It pays its volunteers at par with the corporate world and yet, is open to any kind of scrutiny by the government. Meeting the people at Naandi emboldened my view of the difference between a Social and a Business entrepreneur – it is just the motive and the aim that differentiates the two. Whereas a Social Entrepreneur earns money and finds means to distribute it in the society, a Business Entrepreneur earns money and finds ways to multiply it.
(Visit www.naandi.org for more information on the organization.)
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