Thinking about what to do next year?

• Sing in your Own words,
• Don't worry about finding inspiration: It comes eventually,
• Being Poor Sucks
• Everybody has their own private mount everest they were put on this earth to climb
• The choice of media is irrelevant
• The best way to get approval is to not need it
• Savour obscurity while it lasts
• Don't try to stand out from the crowd, avoid crowds altogether
• You are responsible for your own experience
• Power is never given, power is taken
• Beyond a point, nobody cares
• Whatever choice you make the devil gets his due eventually
• Beware of turning hobbies into jobs
• Worrying about 'commercial' v/s 'artistic' is a complete waste of time
• Merit can be bought, passion can't
• When your dreams become reality, they are no longer your dreams
• Allow your work to age with you
• Keep your day job
• Ignore everybody
• Dying young is overrated
• If your biz plan depends on you being suddenly being 'discovered' by some big shot, your plan will probably fail
• Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside
• The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do and what you are not
• Everyone is born creative, everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten
• The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it
• Selling out is harder than it looks

Tattoo

I finally got the design for my next tattoo nailed down. here is a first cut look.

The tattoo is a combination of two cultures, Buddhist and Hindu. I am not a religious person but these symbols and text appealed to me from a philosophical point of consideration.

The symbol in the center is the tibetan eternal knot. I have explained the meaning of this knot in a post before. Reproducing it here for referral purposes.

The endless knot has been described as "an ancient symbol representing the interweaving of the Spiritual Path, the flowing of Time and Movement within That Which is Eternal. All existence, it says, is bound by time and change, yet ultimately rests serenely within the Divine and the Eternal.

The Tibetan knot can stand for karmic consequences: pull here, something happens over there. It is an apt symbol for the Vajrayana methods: Often when we tug at one part of a knot while trying to loosen it, another part gets tighter. You have to work with the knot to get it to come undone.

The translation of the sanskrit text is below:

Contentment is the highest gain;

Good Company is the highest course;

Enquiry is the highest wisdom;

and Peace the highest enjoyment.

Some of the things that I aspire to.

Preemption...

Have you ever wondered why certain occasions leave you thoroughly confused and looking around like deer caught in front of headlights, while much of the animal kingdom has been pre-programmed to handle potentially difficult situations.

for e.g. here is how some animals deal with impending bad weather.

• Frogs croak louder and longer than usual.
• Roosters crow later in the day.
• Birds fly lower to the ground and gather on tree branches and telephone wires.
• Pigs squeal more and gather sticks to make a nest.
• Cows lay down in the fields to feed, and lay down to ensure they have a dry spot to lay. Cows also run around the field with their tails raised high swatting flies before a storm.
• Bees and butterflies seem to disappear from the flower beds they usually visit.
• Red and black ants build up their mounds around the holes, and may actually cover the hole.
• Fish jump out of the water and nip at low flying insects.
• Dolphins come into sheltered bays to avoid storms.
• Spiders leave their webs when it rains.
• Bees won't leave their hives.
• Seagulls come inland

All over the globe animals have behaviors they exhibit before the weather changes for the worse.
Makes you feel less privileged to be human now doesn't it? Here is another wierd story.

When South Asia had the devastating Tsunami which caused a large death toll and a large path of destruction, it was surprising how low the count was for loss of wildlife. Sri Lankan wildlife officials reported that they found no dead wild animals, including elephants. A photographer also reported seeing no animal corpses as he flew over the wildlife reserve - only active wildlife. An amazing fact when you consider the flood waters traveled up to two miles inland into the wildlife reserve. Potential theories suggest that a sixth sense alerted them to the Tsunami in plenty of time to reach higher and safer land. It could be from something as easy as their keen hearing, maybe hearing the wave approaching while it was still far enough away to escape. The animals may even be able to feel the vibrations of the ground, alerting them of the approaching dangerous situation.

Clearly there's a lot more evolution you and me have to go through. I feel the need for it now more than most times...

Dilemmas and Conundrums

There's an intrinsic problem with the world. It is too interdependent.

In an ideal world, the domino stack that starts tumbling due to a catastrophic event stops at a certain disconnected point; thus limiting the damage and sparing the rest of the setup from annihilation.

However life doesn't follow the same pattern.

I have earlier mentioned how everything we do has repercussions in places so far away that we never can imagine. While some of them are clearly visible, most of them require immense insight and thought to perceive. Due to the interconnected beings that we are, we are just as susceptible to being at the receiving end of those repercussions as we are of causing them. 

That brings us to today’s problem or conundrum as you might call it.

If you were aware of someone else's actions, and the repercussions it might have on them and yourself, just how much intervention is warranted?

Assuming that the repercussions aren't of a desired nature, the logical answer would be to take all the steps necessary to stop the cause or action that will be responsible for it. 

There are two ways that can be done. The first one is to give the right advice and hope that it will help avert an undesired result. Although the second way is more direct, it is also more intrusive; and it involves use of the words 'I Want...'

Sadly the manual of life has no directions specifying which option should be chosen at each specific moment. Let me illustrate the difference between the two. 

Giving Advice:

This is more impersonal, insensitive (most good advice is very insensitive) and less direct. It involves putting your point across in a way that seems philosophical and altruistic. However there is a problem with this way. The final outcome of the situation is dependent on the understanding and judgement of the person performing the action. This is best put in the following words. 

"Anyone who proposes to do good must not expect people to roll stones out of his way, but must accept his lot calmly if they even roll a few more upon it."

The problem with endeavoring to give the right advice is that one has to be very careful. In that the given advice may not be the right one but merely given to have the desired effect for yourself. This is akin to perjury and must be avoided at any cost.

In brief: Give the right counsel, hope it has the desired effect, and let the chips fall where they may.

I Want…:

The second and infinitely more direct method is to express the desired result.

e.g. I want you to do this.

I do not want this to happen.

I want you to take this decision.

While most people use this method to get their way, I feel that it amounts to coaxing someone to do something that you want. The power of persuasion is something that is blatantly used by many and more often than not, has the desired effect. But it also has the risk of never being able to understand someone’s actions and the underlying reasons for taking that action. By using the words ‘I Want…’ you rob yourself the chance to know what the other person might have done had you not influenced their thoughts in such a strong manner. I think that understanding that component of someone’s character is almost as important as influencing the outcome of the situation….if not more.

So when I am faced by this conundrum, I usually choose the first method. It does mean that I come across as insensitive and overly philosophical (the result of using clichés to explain certain stuff). It gives the impression of not caring enough when the truth is sometimes I care about it more than words can express.

It also means that I carry the risk of being hurt or disappointed more often than others. But I also possess the comfort of knowing that someone did something because they really wanted to and not because I told them to.

That leaves another conundrum… A clean conscience and a lot of sleepless nights. Sigh. Wouldn’t have it any other way.