You can progress in life, thanks to politics

Politics is actually a good word. Years ago I wondered, why did politics exist and why did god create it? I have now realised that politics is wonderful. It is a gift that keeps on giving. In fact you can make tremendous progress in life, due to politics. 

Here’s how. 

It improves productivity 

When I first opened my Facebook account in 2006, it was a different platform. People came there to enjoy, to poke, to connect with friends and post on their walls. Now, the scenario is different. Some people go to Facebook to prove that they are superior to others, just because of their political views. It is this party versus that party. I don’t see people talking about lesser known innovators and how to make the earth sustainable. Instead, I see negative posts regarding a political party they don’t adhere to. As a result I’ve substantially decreased my time on social media, and am using  it more productively elsewhere. Try it if you haven’t, make yourself allergic to politics and experience the positive difference in your life. 

It elevates your level 

They say you’re the sum of 5 people you talk the most to. So if people around you are discussing politics all the time, so will you. It’s fine for someone to talk about it, if they want to enter politics themselves. What about the rest? I don’t think anyone achieves self actualisation, just by discussing politics most of the time. I mean, how will it help if you’re frustrated with your own life and instead of improving the situation, you talk about a person you do not like? I am not against having political views, just that they are like sugar, beyond a point they can cause diabetes and other problems. So, if you don’t want to be surrounded by those discussing politics, then what do you do? Surround yourself with people who talk about research and wonderful things they’ve done at work. Surround yourself with winners and achievers. Surround yourself with positive thinkers who look at a problem as an opportunity to solve. Do this consistently and you’ll realise that while you’ve moved ahead, your once good friends are still discussing the same old things. 

It saves earth

We don’t need politicians as much as they need us. No politician I’ve heard of can solve the problem of depleting water table with their own hands. Neither can anyone solve problems of non-recyclable waste, devise cleaner alternatives to fuels , make metropolitan cities sustainable, decrease global warming, etc. It’s people like you and me who can do it. Every minute you talk about politicians, you lose the power to make the earth better with your creativity. Mr Seechewal could make a rivulet clean by his sheer will and hard work. Mr Manjhi could break a mountain and reduce commuting times for people. Mr Sivan and his team have been making people proud with their innovations. I don’t know what’s their political alignment, what I do know is that these are the people we all need to exist on earth. I don’t think they could have done what they did, by discussing politics all the time. 

It makes things possible 

Always remember, politicians exist because we give too much importance to them. And not enough to innovators and problem solvers. Around 1983 Steve Jobs talked about making a computer the size of a book, where applications would be made available without any wires. Some people at that time thought he was a lunatic. Less than 30 years later, his team made the iPad. Likewise so many things have happened which were termed impossible. Can’t we have a world without borders, where no one fears death and everyone lives together in harmony with nature? Can’t we have a planet where no one dies early and people remain satisfied all the time? Can’t we stop hurting people and instead use that time to care for them? Maybe it’s we people only who’re not convinced that all the good things, which seem impossible today, can actually happen in the future. 

It makes life worth living 

Once you stop discussing politics, you’ll realise there’s a lot of goodness which you hadn’t noticed before. The beauty of nature in each and every creation. The fact that human body itself is a magnificent creation whose architecture surpasses anything we could have ever imagined. That there is something far beyond what we’ll ever experience in this lifetime. For all we talk about life on earth, it is just a tiny speck when seen from other galaxies. When seen in current solar system, it seems more beautiful than any other planet, will it always remain this way?

It is need of the hour

Think on these things. With rising temperature, depleting ozone layer, and reduction in natural resources - for how long will the human race survive? Will we ever be able to live in peace with each other? Nature gave us so much, did we ever appreciate it enough? The fact that politicians exist, it means failure of humanity. If we lived together in harmony, we won’t need anyone to rule us. We won’t need police if there is no crime. Defence budget will be zero, if countries decided not to fight with each other. There can be enough food for everyone, if there is no wastage. Everyone can have access to basic education, healthcare and Internet; only if we the people decide to make it happen. And that will not happen, if we spend most of our time discussing politics, instead of trying to solve the problems around us. 

Photo by Dr. Jagmeet

Make your dreams come true in this lockdown phase

I believe no one wants to be locked inside their house, even if it’s for a good cause. For some, it’s not easy to spend so much time away from their usual routine. Everyone I’ve seen wants to live a good life. Make money, spend it on things they want to, travel the world, and give quality health & education to their family. Life becomes better when we we’re successful in doing what we are up to. 

As things are, in every profession, some people are more successful than others. Ever wondered, what is it that makes them successful?

It’s not that people fail deliberately. 

Maybe you couldn’t have what you wanted to have, due to whatever reasons. I have been with people who’re happy with the life they’re leading. I’ve also read biographies of a few inspirational people. From what I’ve observed, there are a few traits which are absolutely essential for success. Every one must have them if they want to make their dreams come true and be successful in life.

Traits of successful people

The first one is hard work. Without it, one can’t live a good life. A lot of youngsters I see these days expect that they get everything in life without doing much. Like they want to win some kind of lottery or get into a job where they get paid for doing close to no work. This is not the right approach for long term happiness. You can never achieve your full potential without working hard for it. Easy money will not take you far. People who are self made, are always respected more than those who get things on a platter. The ones who take responsibility, end up improving lives of so many people around them. Such people are regarded even after their soul leaves the body. 

The second most important thing is discipline. Having a routine is absolutely essential. A common trait among the most successful self-made people is that they are early risers. They have a fixed time of when they get up. Slacking off in bed will not make you progress in youth, it’s important to have a pattern. When young, Bill Gates would sometimes not go home for months and stay late coding software. Even now he has all the money in the world, yet he’s active and not retired. Warren Buffet is known for his disciplined approach to doing things and a simple lifestyle. If you aspire to make as much money as them, then you’ll have to be focused in your pursuit of excellence. 

The third most important thing is to have a goal. Taking things as they come would never take you far. You’ll have to have a passion for something. Don’t be just another person in your field - be someone who will make others stand up and take notice. Steve Jobs was passionate about easy to use things. He was good at finding talented people and extracting quality work from them. I know one guy who’s passionate about making money and puts in crazy hours even though he’s earned enough to last a lifetime. You can go to any length to achieve your goal if you are passionate about it. If you don’t have a goal now then keep working at it and one day you’ll realise your inner calling. 

Next, always be prepared to take calculated risks. Being in comfort zone will take you nowhere, for you’ll stay there only. Luck favours the brave. This is how Columbus discovered America, as he chose a route which others wouldn’t. This is how Edison discovered the light bulb, by failing thousands of times. This is how modern smartphones were made, when no one else anticipated their potential. If these people can do it then so can you, and achieve much more than what you think you possibly can.

Last, you have to stay positive at all times. There will be all kinds of days. What sets some people apart from others is how they see things. A bad event means it’s an opportunity for you to do even better. After every down there’s an up. Feeling negative and frustrated will not benefit you in any way. Rejection doesn’t mean end of the world, it means you’re meant for better things in life. You can’t expect others to see your awesomeness if you can’t see it yourself. Keep believing in positive intent and you’ll be amazed at how much goodness resides in the world. 

Remember, lockdown is just for few more weeks, your career will last for years to come.

So, if you’re locked down in your house, then try to count your blessings. Use the commute time you’re saving into something else far more productive. Work even harder than before. Follow a disciplined routine and keep waking up on time. Focus on your goal and strive to achieve it in the time to come. Be ready to take some risks. See the positive side of things. Make a list of all the productive things you’d do once lockdown is over. Your life will completely change, as you’ll experience your dreams coming true.

Want to be rich? Then gift gold to your wife

Rich is the man, who treats his wife like a queen. A man who generously spends on his wife, never becomes poor. In fact, the goodness comes back manifold. Honestly speaking, no man can do enough for his wife, what she has done for him. Yet, one can surely make an attempt somewhere. Such as by giving nice-nice gifts. And it’s always good to gift something valuable, as a token of thanks for all the wonderful things she’s done. What can be better than gold?

Gold is a delightful thing to gift. The stack of notes at your home, will stay like this, their value won’t increase. Better use them for something that will bring happiness. 

Gold is gold 

When I was a kid, I used to wonder, why Indians purchased so much gold? Even now I know people who baffle at the thought of it. However, buying gold is actually fantastic. One can become rich by purchasing the right pieces of gold. Even though there are many things which can be gifted, nothing beats the good old charm of gold. It’s a tried and tested thing, always wonderful. Like how our immediate ancestors were right on lifestyle and diet patterns, same goes for investing in gold. 

The value of Gold jewellery doesn't depreciate with time. You will get resale value even after 5-10 years. A finely crafted piece of jewellery lasts a lifetime and can be passed down generations. Can you gift your expensive phone to grandchildren after 20 years except for sentimental value? The phone you buy today worth ₹1 lakh, next year the value becomes ₹50,000. I know someone who purchased a second hand BMW worth ₹85 lakh, for just ₹28 lakh. I have never heard anything like this for gold jewellery. If you had purchased gold an year ago, today you would have got more than 35% returns on it. Of course, you won’t always get such returns, yet you’ll get them today. 

This is the time

There is no assurance of how time will be. When I went to Noida in 2008, even newspaper sellers were making money in property. This is difficult time now for such kind of people. Likewise, this is a good time to invest in gold, as returns will keep on increasing. 

Quite often it happens that people remain poor despite making lots of money. Having a good salary package doesn’t mean that a person will always be rich. There are some who earn less, yet end up having more assets. Not that they have a big bank balance - they just take a few right steps. One must know where to spend money on, especially when real estate isn’t giving as high returns it once was giving. 

What it means is that never stop your wife when she says she wants to buy gold. Take her to a showroom selling pure quality of gold, with great after sales service and magnificent designs. Let her have what she was, ensure to keep the items safe in a bank locker or somewhere else. 

Gujranwala Jewellers - a prominent name in Jalandhar, with 400 year old legacy. 

The golden sparrow 

Gold is one reason India was rich in the past. People laid emphasis on saving money to buy gold. Indian temples often had tonnes of gold inside them. We got invaded for this reason as foreigners were surprised to see our wealth. Countries got developed by looting our gold and ornaments!

Even now there are people in South India who don’t spend much on cars and gadgets, instead they do so on gold. In Kerala, from time to time parents purchase different pieces for their daughter. Like when she’s born, grows up, becomes adult, etc. When Narayan Murthy needed funds, his wife sold her jewellery. That enabled him to set up the company and see where it’s now. Truly there’s a woman behind every successful man!

So, just think, if in future you need money then gold will be your faithful friend. You can’t be assured of how your other friends will be, yet you can definitely be assured of the value of gold.

Count your blessings 

Always keep at least 10% of your investments in gold. It is safer than investing in real estate as well as stock market. 

It’s not that you should buy only gold and nothing else. Take your wife to a romantic dinner. A place with ambience or food as per her choice. In between the meals, out of the blue, gift her an item made of pure gold.

A relationship is not about being perfect. It’s about making the other person perfect. Look into her eyes and say “Sweetheart, I know I’m not as good looking as you. Nor do I have the kind of goodness which you have. You could have got anyone on earth. It’s purely my good fortune that you accepted me as husband. My life is all the better because of you. Surely I can never repay you back, for all that you’ve done for me. I can just make an attempt, for that here’s a small token.” And then hand her the golden box. 

At the end

I’ll like to tell something to all my blog readers. Every wife you see, goes through a lot. For all the jokes you crack on her, your mom is also someone’s wife. A wife leaves her home, her doting parents, the area she was fond of, everything. She does it for her husband. The least you can do is to appreciate her. For all the sacrifices she makes for your happiness. For all the planning she does so that you’ll have smile on your face. For all the hardships she goes through so that you won’t have to. It’s not easy to be a wife, when she leaves her loving parents and adopts a new family as her own. Tomorrow, if you have a daughter, she too will go through the same after marriage. So, try to give as much goodness to your wife as you possibly can. If you truly see the human in her and give her a platform to excel, then nothing wrong will happen. 

Always try to understand what she doesn’t tell you. Appreciate her for the smallest of gestures. Time to time, give her something in gold. Necklace, pendant, bangles, chain - whatever you want to. And make her the happiest woman on earth. 

Her first salary

"Please don't buy me anything. You'll get your first salary tomorrow. It's my request, please spend it on your mother. She has played a big role in shaping you the person you are, and it's she who actually deserves this, not me." Clamped in bed, I told her, just before turning off the lights.

"No no. Nothing doing. I'm going to buy you something. Remember how earlier you wouldn't accept any gift from me, saying it was purchased from my parents' money and you will accept only when I started earning? Now you can not stop me, no no no no no" she spoke the last words rhyming up and down.

"Your parents have given you to me. That's all I need. You are far more wonderful than what I had ever imagined for. If you really want to gift me something, then please stay the way you are. Because if I had my way I wouldn't change a thing about you." I looked at her face, beaming even more gloriously than ever.

"I am not perfect. I have a long way to go." She said.

"You are always learning new things. You care for your family. Your base intent is good. You do good to people without expecting much in return. You want to see me happy always. If this isn't perfect then what is?"

Photo by Khanna Digital Photography

Appreciation letter to Indian doctors, who are also good humans

Dear good humans who happen to be doctors,

I just wanted to thank you from my heart. People like me have got so much from you all, that we can’t express enough gratitude. 

Thank you for spending precious years of your youth in education. As a result you earned your first salary much later than school classmates. Because you studied so much to form a good base, it ensured we patients got goodnesses in treatment. 

Thank you for inspiring the common citizen. I have seen you working crazy hours and giving your best to the wellness of every patient that you can. If you can do this and be at your best, then surely can others.

Thank you for optimism. This is something everyone can learn from you. Even when a patient comes with less chances of survival, there are cases you make them survive by being positive.

Thank you for caring. I have seen so many doctor families of my parents’ generation, who ensured a good lifestyle for their children. They sacrificed personal comfort for the benefit of their next generation. Especially those who themselves didn’t get much facilities in their own youth. 

Thank you for being strong. Coming to work every day, battling unreasonable people, learning new things in spare time, having untimely meals. And yet you keep going on.

Thank you for your diligence. Every patient who comes to you is unique. They have their own history and complications. You analyse all of that quickly, and offer solution which your experience tells will be right for them. And you don’t celebrate one success, as you quickly move on to the next case. 

Thank you for self learning. Despite having so many working hours, you make sure to catch up on new advancements. While balancing family and other commitments. At the same time dealing with various types of people, in your hospital as well as from other industries. You spend your entire lifetime in learning and use that to bring betterment in someone else’s life. 

Thank you for happiness. So many times people came to you with no other option left and you got them out of that situation. All while saying that results are in the hand of god and you have just done your duty. 

Thank you for everything. A good human in India has to face many things in order to become a doctor. Colleges charge insanely high fees, and they’re usually not run by people in medical field. Curriculum is far more rigid than other professions. While 20-something engineers are enjoying spending money, doctors are a long way to go before they start earning. Patients prefer getting treated from specialised ones, so they have to do multiple degrees. All of this when hearing things about violence against them. Some patients question their years of knowledge by discussing a few random articles on Google. Work life balance is practically nonexistent. There’s always competition from uncertified practitioners and naysayers. The money you earn is not always equal to the level of stress you take. Some people expect you to treat for free, and if you do that by putting money from own pocket, it’s not valued enough. Then there are those who expect doctors to do all the charity. Life of a good person in this field is always tough, yet you keep going at it. 

If you are a patient then please understand that there are two types of humans, of which one is the good type. As will be society, so will be humans and so will be doctors. If 100 out of 100 humans in a society are magnificent, then same ratio will be for doctors. Every human goes through a lot for becoming a doctor, they are people among us in this profession. If you get treated from a doctor , then consider them as working professionals and not god. Treat them with respect and also understand the constraints at their end. We people cannot survive without doctors, so we must ensure that we save them. 

If you are a doctor then I cannot thank you enough for all the good things that you’ve done. I am grateful for the support you gave me on my previous blog post. 

As you do your practice, I am aware of the issues which plague you. Things may take time to change for the better. I just wanted to thank you for all the happiness you’ve brought in my life. If there’s one thing I can do for you, then it is this. 

Dear good humans of India who are doctors. I pray for you. Please close your eyes and think. Whatever is your top one wish, may it get fulfilled ASAP. 

Once again, thank you and may god bless.

My request to Indian doctors - please hike your fees

It might sound odd to non medicos, that I’m requesting Indian doctors to charge more. The general perception among public is that Healthcare should ideally be low cost to people and affordable for poor. When compared to developed countries like USA, many feel India has this positive aspect of cheaper healthcare. 

Yet I request Indian doctors to follow the American model and hike their fees. If you're charging ₹300 then charge ₹3000. Make it 10 times over night, or even more. It's absolutely not against the law to do that. 

Believe me, if that happens then India will scale much greater heights than ever. 

Here's why. 

Patients’ behaviour will improve

If you're a doctor then some patients will ask “why are you charging money?”. Even if you’re charging as low as ₹200 (less than USD 3) per visit. They won't ask about the electricity and water bills that you have to pay. They won't ask you about rental expenses. They won't ask you about staff who demand salaries on time and a hike every year. They won't ask about inflation. They won't ask about hardware companies selling devices at profitable rates. They won't ask how much money your parents spent on your education. They won’t ask you about family members aspiring to have a lifestyle at par with their peers. They will simply ask why isn't their doctor treating them for free. Because the fees is so low people take it for granted. On the contrary, people don’t ask expensive brands like Mercedes and BMW to give free things. They happily pay what is asked and feel proud doing so. Hence, charge such a high amount that people won’t bother asking for freebies.

It'll reduce vicious cycle of commission 

Some humans in medical profession (not all) prescribe medicines from selected brands based on "targets". Some humans in medical profession prescribe more number of tests to patients so that they'll get referral amount. Why? Because they're earning less from their regular income. They’re unable to hike their rates, for several reasons. So let them earn so much from their regular income that they won't retort to these external things. Let people take only those medicines and tests which are essential. 

Improve health of a patient 

Because it’ll be expensive, patients will try to come fewer times to a doctor and will take better care of their health. That way they'll take each prescription and advise more seriously. Same way people let scratches happen on cheap Nokia phones and take utmost care of their expensive iPhones.

Lesser brain drain

I have seen people in USA buying things like house with botanical garden area and private jets, which their Indian counterparts can't imagine. If Indian doctors earned this much amount here, then neither will they go abroad to practice nor will our rich people go overseas for treatment. 

Happier youth

These days, people of young age like going to restaurants with plush interiors. They don’t care as much about basic raw material or savings - they just want good ambience. So that they can click selfies and upload on social media. Going to cheaper places doesn’t appear cool. This is a stark contrast from my parents generation, for whom eating out meant a place serving fresh meals. They didn’t care much about interiors. Not judging anyone, the current urban Indian youth wants good interiors. They’re willing to spend ₹1000 for a plate of golgappas in a 5 star hotel, even if they get the same thing elsewhere for cheap. Hence doctors should do the same. Make their hospitals a 5 star selfie spot. Youth will look forward to coming there and clicking selfies. For that, doctors should increase their fees exponentially. 

Happier doctors

Most of our society looks down upon doctors who spend money on themselves. They don’t expect them to buy a Mercedes or take vacations abroad. This has a toll on some doctors as they can’t publicly display the results of their hard earned money. Hence, if it became acceptable that doctors are meant to make money, then they won’t be judged. Then every doctor will be able to freely display their wealth and also security systems at home. In fact, the more society tries to suppress a doctor from displaying their wealth, more they’ll want to show it. So give them the freedom to do it. 

Relaxed doctors

These days, it’s a matter of stress for doctors, when a patient does self diagnosis on the Internet. The patient reads some random articles via Google and then argues with prescription given by doctor. The patient feels his few minutes of random research is more insightful than several years of experience held by the doctor. Some patients also come for time pass, whereas they should be coming only if they seriously need a check up. Because the doctor charges very low, patients take it for granted. If instead of ₹200, a doctor was charging ₹20,000, then the patient would have dared not argue. They would have thought that the doctor is charging so much, so they must be right. 

More number of doctors

Experienced doctors are flooded with a lot more patients than newer ones. One reason is they continue charging much less then younger ones. If they charge more, then others will get a chance as well. So there will be more number of doctors graduating and it'll be a level playing field for new entrants as well. Instead of engineering, parents will force their kids to take up medical. Then even the fresh graduates will have a chance of finding clients, due to less rates, just like software engineers.

More time for family

As each doctor will have similar number of patients due to standard deviation, their working hours will reduce. So, they'll be able to devote that time to their family. This will boost the economy as they’ll get time for shopping, eating out, buying luxury goods, etc. 

Just another profession

It’s time people realised that doctor is a profession, they are not gods. I do not know a single doctor who calls herself /himself as god. Just as how a cricketer gets out on zero, same way a doctor too makes unintentional mistakes. If people realised that a doctor is here to earn money and try their best, then they won’t break hospital windows after death of a patient. Because for someone who is not a god, the outcome is not in their hands. 

It will improve things

People will start driving safely on road, fearing high cost of treatment. Parents will force kids to spend less time on mobiles, as they won’t be able to afford eye care. Like in Singapore the treatment is so expensive, people make efforts not to fall sick. People who will feel “why deprive the poor of affordable healthcare?” will have to start improving levels for their upliftment. It’s not the responsibility of doctors to end poverty, isn’t it? We may finally see cancer getting eradicated, thanks to investment in research (I pray no one goes through cancer). And we may see the end of inventing diseases, just so that people will buy their antidote. Because such companies will know that people won’t be able to buy en masse. After all such disease inventors are also humans with feelings for others. We may see people’s bodies getting stronger due to taking less medicines, and getting back to ways of holistic health. 

Because cheaper doesn’t always mean it’s better. If only we could value the importance of having a human body. 

Above article in video format:

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A thing called love

Love is not wanting to have someone. 

Love is wanting them to do well, knowing you may never have them. 

Love is not trying to find perfection in them. 

Love is encouraging them to be better, in every way they possibly can. 

Love is not just marriage. 

Love is a pure feeling of goodness. 

Love does not demand a bookish conclusion. 

Love is eternal that goes on and on. 

Love is not planned. 

Love happens when you least expect it to be. 

Love is not what you feel in stories. 

Love is pure joy that you just have to realise. 

Love is not always about closeness. 

Love is always about gratitude that it happened to you. 

Love is not about trying hard. 

Love is about going with the flow, when doing the simplest of things. 

Love is not music playing in head. 

Love is being responsible and mature towards what you have received. 

Love is not human. 

Love is god. 

मेले के लोगों में भी सुंदरता है (Hindi poem)

कहने को मेले में आए हुए लोग हज़ार हैं 

पर एक एक व्यक्ति के गुण भी हज़ार हैं 

कोई किसी की नियत सुधार रहा है 

कोई किसी की ग़लती भुला रहा है 

आम सा दिखने वाला व्यक्ति आम नहीं है 

हर एक प्राणी में एक से एक विशेष बात है 

एक नयी नवेली दुल्हन, संक्षिप्त घर बसा रही है 

एक नवजात शिशु , भोलेपन से दर्द घटा रहा है 

आज कोई पहली बार झूला ले रहा है 

उसके लिए यह बहुत ही बड़ी बात है 

सज के सँवर के , कोई ख़ुश होकर आया है 

ये महज़ एक मेला नहीं , आशाओं का साया है 

जितना गहरा जितना विशाल , उतना ही निकट 

ग़रीब का बच्चा जो भी देखे , उसी से संतुष्ट 

दुनिया तैयार बैठी है , प्यार बाँटने के लिए 

जाके उनसे मिलिए , और फिर अपनाइए 

क्यूँकि , जैसा लगता नहीं वैसा होता है 

छोटी-छोटी चीजों में भी भगवान होता है