Economics to Emotions

'If you want to get rich, you need to learn how to take risks. Learn to be an investor.'

I read these lines in a gain-financial-freedom conceptualised book. Though, I was reading an economics related book but couldn't restrain my thought process to spread its wings.

These lines stand very true in every aspect of knowledge that you wish to acquire. Not getting it? Ok. Let me make it more clear. How about rephrasing it as - If you want to gain, you will have to lose ? Though, the rephrase is not exploring every dimension the statement aspires to conquer, yet it is easier for a common man to understand.

'Rich' is not always associated with 'earning money' or 'gaining profits'. It is associated with 'addition to what one already possesses'.

'Risk' is not merely staking one's money with fingers crossed. It is associated with 'analysis and judgement from some observations'.

'Investor' is not the one who 'stakes money' but the one who 'stakes what one possesses'.

E.g. Consider a student who went to a school for the wish of his parents and studied for the wish of his teachers.

The investors

Student, Parents, Teachers and most importantly School authorities.

The investments

School authorities invested mind in planning out a good infrastructure, money in creating infrastructure, hiring teachers and maintaining the standards and trust in the students that they will utilize the infrastructure with respect and will be able to emerge as the leaders.

Teachers invested their knowledge, teaching skills, time, affection, care and also a small amount of trust that these students will become great human beings and never forget them.

Parents are the biggest investors. They invested their every moment in creating healthy surroundings for their child. They invested their every penny so that their ward gets what he/she deserves and what he/she needs to become deserving of something better in life. They invested their affection, prayers while their ward was out facing the world with his/her wits. They invested 'themselves' for the betterment of their child.

Student invests unknowingly in the initial stage. Later, he has gone so far that he stops accounting for the investments that he has made. He only counts the outcomes and is never satisfied, for he has never known the exact amount of investments made by him and so in pursuit of much more he thinks the investments to outcount the results.

The risks involved

School authorities fear the most of the bullies at school who continuously attempt to assault the institution's property, deliberately or not. There are some elements on which mortal being has no control e.g. natural assaults for which there is no option other than praying to God and asking Him for His mercifulness.

Teachers did not usually fear in past. They used to physically scold students and parents would have blamed the students for it without knowing the complete scene. But today it is not the same case. Once bitten twice shy. Today teacher thinks a lot many times before hitting some student, for parents are very careful of every scar that their ward gets. All due to only a few merciless teachers in institutions.

Talking sensibly, parents have no risks to take, as they admit. Their service is selfless. They expect nothing but affection in return, which in some circumstances is not given to them and yet they do not complaign.

Students are the biggest risk takers. They deliberately take risks and enjoy the adventure. Risk of not completing homework, risk of forging parents' signatures on teachers' remarks, risk of bunking classes and not getting caught by any authority and a lot more.

Who got Rich?? The biggest question. I suppose many blogs will go in writing who got rich in this scenario still we will not have reached even half way answering it. Hence, I will not attempt to answer the question but would definitely expect from you, the readers, to ponder over it.

Hint: Recall from the very first day when you first opened your eyes to this world.

A too much of an emotional encounter, I guess.

The Day

The morning began at 6:30 a.m. After morning ablutions I left for the center. It seemed a fine morning. It was different: the cool breeze, the timely luck factor in getting the bus to the destination, the sun hasn't rose yet, sky looked snowy. The travel was comfortable, except the bumpy jumps in the bus. I was not nervous, nor was I worried. For, the occasion had quite become a practice of every sunday, thanks to the coaching center's schedule.

So I reached the center and there were two noticeable things: a barricade at the entrance to avoid rush and a huge gate bearing the center's name on it. The buildings seemed to be arranged in an array, simple yet impressive. As I moved to my venue, I saw many faces: cute and nervous, confident, confused. But I did not know how my face looked like !! Perhaps, someone must have noticed.

I stood outside the entrance to the test venue. I looked around in an attempt to spot familiar faces but in vain. Most of them came with their parents or guardians; I felt lonely, though I was wearing a sweater but a cold breeze ran through me which shivered me. I made some calls, to my math faculty, my cousin. It really helped to have some familiar voice ringing in the ears.

Soon the gates were open, and we were let in. It was easy to spot the room. I occupied the location specified for me. You know, this is the time when you actually experience the taste of reservation, if you know what I mean.

Soon a voice was heard over speakers- The security guards must close the entrance to the building and shall allow no one henceforth. It was 10:00 a.m. Time flies by. Soon, he started blabbering various instructions. Though, I had them printed infront of me yet the old guy preferred reading them aloud; oh he was'nt reading them aloud, he was just reading them in front of a microphone.

It was 10:30 and we were now free to do whatever we can with the test paper in the next 2 hours and half, yet we had instructions to take special care of the answer sheet.

As I opened the question paper, I was expecting a total blackout but, to my surprise, I was wide awake in my mind. I was not nervous, nothing striked me like lightening. This thing, ofcourse, striked me. May be it was the effect of the sunday routine of mocks.

Well we all know for ourselves what happened to us in those 2 hours and half. Many of us scored, performed to someone's expectations and many of us just did what we could. There is nothing to repent about because we all did what we were supposed to do. Still, no doubt, I could have done better.

But let us keep those feelings aside for the moment and go in retrospection to see how did the day start. I told u how did mine start and as the day went by I realised that it was not the D-day for me !! My case is yet to be judged.

By the way, how did yours go, buddy ?

M... Craves

My name is M... and I am immortal: in my spirit, thoughts, actions, feelings.

I enjoy my reality that like every human, my life is bound to be miserable at most times. Though, many a times it is scary but I live with it.

Many a times I go for an expedition to search for the most peaceful place in this world but as it turns out, every craved place loses its identity once its aspirers achieve it; or, is it that the identity refrains to abide by the place when it is no longer craved for ? Whatever be the case, the search for such a place never ends.

Is this the destiny of human satisfaction: to remain unfulfilled? Will any human ever find a place different and far away from this adversary filled world?

I know that most of us are disqualified to answer this question for we are the major components of adversaries. Hence, we cannot answer this for everyone. But what if we could answer it for ourselves, atleast?

What if, we could find a place for ourselves where the soul of the world resides or our soul for that matter?

I know such a place, for myself. I see it daily, when I am relaxing, when I just want to be at some place so great and wonderful as to make me forget my sadnesses, when I just want to submit to the soul of the world and be relieved.

The place which I talk about, will never run out of the crave which humans have for it and the reason we all know.

Here is an attempt towards poetry in which I try to describe the place where I want to be, ultimately.

Over the hills, amongst the clouds

It feels like heaven where happiness enshrouds,

The beauty is so great i want to take it all in a glance

The earth smells so good i walk in a trance.

The trees r so green, the sky so blue

I have never seen flowers in so many colors n hues,

This is the only happiness that has ever been,

It’s the only sorrow known to man;

It’s the only truth in existence,

This is the ultimate fantasy.

After days of being dead, I feel alive,

Of all the things I have been blessed with,

It’s the only one that inspires life.

Lying on my bed I see it in my minds eye,

And if the judgment day is today;

That’s the place I’d like to die.

Some may call it nature, some call it GOD;

But I just know one thing,

This is the only thing worth living for.

With love

M...  :)

Confessions of a Confused Mind

The day was 4th of July 2008 when I registered for my ps2. At that time I had promised myself to perform my best in the coming 5 months. I had looked this interning as an opportunity to explore my interests, gauge myself under the meter of professionalism. That was the moment when I had thought of 'making it BIG'. I was waiting for the period to begin. Finally, it began on the 5th of July.

It has been 4 months now and from the place, where I am standing right now, I look back at that day just to find that the lift which I had grabbed then, took me downtown instead of adding any value to my brain.

Who is to take the responsibility for this downturn?

I think the answer lies in the confession that I am about to make.

I wasted the time in these 4 months. The activities that took my time were: sleeping and watching movies.

The reason behind the truth that I did not get any work is my disinterest in the company that developed due to my laziness. I shall not blame the working conditions of the company for that laziness.

It feels so cheap to even say that I am a BITSian for BITS gave me so many chances to recover from my drawbacks but I never paid any heed to them.

Well, even when I got work in area of slightest interest, I ruined the opportunity to display my talent, my sincerity, my hard work etc. by missing out my days in useless dreaming. Now, I wonder whether I have ever possessed any of these.

To feel a bit of good in myself I had joined a coaching to prepare for CAT !! Well, there they expect me to win horizons and I seem to have no concern about them or anyone for that matter.

Just to feel much better about that I am putting my hard work, I recently started cycling 20kms daily.

I do not know what have I been doing these 4 months and certainly have no idea what I must do in the remaining 1 month.

None ever knew what I actually had been doing these months. Not even the ones who did everything in their power to provide me with the best.

And now I know it will be shameful for those who know me to call me their friend or known to. Hence, I feel I must go, disappear somewhere, never come back, never talk to anyone.

But that is not what I want to do.

I want to be given one more chance to reinvent my potential. Just one last chance...

PS: I do not need pities of any kind so please spare me the trouble.

The Coupling Effect

Well, as I write this, may be, somewhere, someone is getting committed. But I am actually an eye-witness of a specific zone called BITS Pilani Goa Campus.

It is an engineering college. Hence, like any other engg. college we have guys in majority and gals in minority. In the campus there is this unsaid game going on: Who Gets Gal First !! Unfortunately, there are not any man-made rules but only natural ones.

I need not tell how the whole cycle goes but still I have to write something !!

I semester => Oggling around; a guy automatically becomes far-sighted !! (can spot a gal from a distance)

II semester => Guy starts being friends with gals (mind the use of singularity and plurality)

III semester => Guy is seen around with so many gals having post-dinner walks. Guy/Gal justifies- We are just good friends.

IV semester => "He proposed me !! OMG !!" (:blush)

V semester => Both are studying hard in library for it is their crucial year and surprisingly become the best scorers !!

VI semester => Both become highbrows !!

VII semester => They will not part ways, for they studied only to remain together till the last year be it PS2 or on-campus semester.

VIII semester => Time for the rest to go distant but for them it's time to come much closer !!

They meet each other's parents and just like any medieval period hindi movie...la lala lalalala lala

Now this is supposed to be an ideal love story in a college but we see many variations viz.

1. guy never ends up being friends with gals

2. guy may end up being a friend but never ends up alone with her.

3. guy may be good friend with a gal and likes her but hey ooops gal has never thought about him like that; we can be good friends though :) !! ( this actually means that, I am going to roam around with your friend and you should not mind)

etc. etc. and many more may be possible. There is not no number between 0 and 1 but infinite.

Hey, there are other species called as Dual Degree Students (DDS), Second Semester Admissions(SSA).

For DDS and SSA first year is all about CGPA; DDS need a good dual like COMPSCI, EEE, EnI !! stop !! Who wants mechanical or chemical but some people have to be satisfied by these only !!

Second year is about little bit of observing their entourage. Even this little much is too much !!

Third year is again studies. Afterall, this is the last year of their first degree.

Fourth year is the last year on campus and so the last year to admire the 'beauties' of the campus !! :D

During these three years, we may not have heard about the dualites geting coupled. So, one must widen their ears as much as they can in the fourth year to hear the breaking news. And no wonder, the breaking news might come from among your friends only.

Moreover, one can see Hybridization at its best in campus.

well well well....this is one hell of a life apart from daily routine activites...and my some known-to's are right now enjoying the ride.

Enough said. Wish these people some special lucks and brains for true love stories are very rare to be seen and to those too who are still on a lookout.

Just a thought !!

On a white canvas, I was painting a scenery, wherein I was in a beautiful valley with myself.

I was thinking...not about how my life is going but how could such a scenery exist in this world... suddenly I realised some one's presence around me. But I could see no one. I looked here and there, looked back at myself...yes myself the painter...I could see a hesitation in his hands. They were trembling. I tried to know why his hands were trembling. The painter was having an idea of drawing a figure which would encompass the qualities of softness in nature, freeness in thoughts, aiming to fly high and would love me.

He was having so many images in his minds but none fit in properly. Every image lacked one or the other quality. Every time he drew a figure, he had to rub off for it was not perfect.

The presence that I was feeling rose because of that trembling.

That trembling increased as he kept on drawing figures and erasing them. The result was faced by me, a strong wind blew. It was not any ordinary wind, but was instilled with the grief, sorrow and desperateness of the painter- desperateness to provide me with someone worth me.

Consequence: I was blown by the wind and was gone far off from the reach of the thoughts of the painter. I was lost and so was my painter.

He could do nothing but start painting on another canvas.

Thoughts are like clouds, they keep floating by. One can always retrieve the thoughts but can only cherish the moments gone in those thoughts.

I was happy until...

How many times in our lives have we really felt "I am happy?" Well the answer will definitely come out to be - many a times. Give a serious thought to it and you will know that whenever you felt happy there was something which was adding that 'until' to the end of your claim, simultaneously.

Let us start from the beginning, the beginning of one's life.

When I was born, I was happy - until I found the need to communicate my needs.

When I tried to communicate through actions, people started understanding me and now I was happy - until the people felt that communication has better ways- speaking -and so they taught me how to speak.

When I learnt to speak, I could communicate my desires in a language that was understandable by the people and now I was happy - until the people stopped responding positively to all my desires.

As I grew old, I understood that desires must be controlled and that all desires cannot be fulfilled at the instant and now I was happy - until one evil started poking me to go faster for my desires, the temptations.

Now I was busy fighting against temptations. I learned how to win over them and I was happy - until other evils took to my attention. Now I had a full army to fight against; greed, hatred, deceit, lust etc.

I was busy all this time trying to figure out a way, a simple formula- like the one Newton had for gravity- so that whenever I face with any of these disturbing variables I shall substitute them in the formula and get a positive outcome automatically. Completely Impractical !!

The process of mentioning all the incidents of life where 'I was happy until...' can go on and in the end you may probably realize that you were never of the form 'I am happy'. But, to discourage you is not my motive.
My motive is to recall those incidents where now you know you felt 'I was happy until...' so that you will notice this time the virtues that gave you the power to fight.

Feeling happy is like a chain reaction. Everytime you feel so, it is crushed by the split of your mind into the positive part and the negative part. The negative part is thrown out of the conscious and you feel happy because of the realization of the existence of the positive part which won against the negative part.

A vicious circle of feeling happy !!