Life Archives - Page 6 of 12 - Hope With Anirban

We were extremely lucky during the pandemic

How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?

Being citizens of India, having access to vaccines, having no job losses, we were extremely lucky.

In the COVID-19 pandemic I saw that many of my relatives died. But my immediate family, my parents and siblings were healthy.

My father’s role was crucial here. He was very proactive.

Despite my anxiety he himself cooked healthy protein rich foods, we never had shortages of masks and we got vaccinated on time.

I feel sorry for the people who didn’t have the privilege of good health in the COVID-19 pandemic.

I wouldn’t say I’m glad you read this line because the COVID-19 pandemic was nothing to be proud of.

We were just extremely lucky by God’s infinte grace.

Thanks for reading!

10 things that inspire me that might inspire you

Here are 10 things that inspire me that might inspire you-

Leaders (because it shows me that one man can change the world). For me it’s Gandhi and Dr. B R Ambedkar,etc. For you it may be someone else.
Parents’ love (because it’s truly selfless and unconditional)
Wild and stray animals (because it gives me hope. Why do stay animals strive for survival even though they don’t have much intelligence, no plan for life, no careers? Maybe because they aren’t or can’t suffer in thought obsessively like us.)
Doing what I love (because it gives me joy. I love reading novels, writing blogs, learning stuff,etc. And it gives me joy.)
Realizing my mistakes (I am open to learning my mistakes and I am flexible to learn my mistakes. Maybe that’s my gift. But it inspires me because it makes me grow as a person.)
Being grateful (because it is one of the truths of existence. “You haven’t created the air that you breathe, so stay humble because someone else did it for you to be alive.” which is something a person I know said to me.)
Overcoming fear (because it makes me grow as a person and allows me to do things I can’t do or haven’t done before.)
Doing something creative (because it gives me self-knowledge and the pleasure of helping people feel good from my creative work gives me joy.)
Accomplishing something difficult (because it gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride.)
Praying to God (because it feels good. I’m just like the average person who prays to God for a salary hike next quarter. But I feel it’s my duty to pray to God for no reason.)

There are other things that inspire me but here’s the top 10.

I’m glad you read this line. Thanks a lot!

I will not name anything after me

If you could have something named after you, what would it be?

I will not name anything after me except my blog and business.

That’s because I believe that your work and deed make you worthy of remembrance than your name.

Great people like Gandhi, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar are still remembered because of their work, not because their photo and name are printed on paper money or books.

Why bother naming something after you?

Focus on humility and hard work.

There’s no need to attempt to prove to people that you are great.

If you are great, people would know it automatically.

I’m glad you read this line. Thanks a lot!

I wanted to be an astronaut and a singer at five

When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Plainly and simply I wanted to be an astronaut and a singer.

Because astronauts move mankind forward and I love to sing.

But as I grew older, I discovered my true preferences.

I realised that I was born to be a writer.

I was born to think differently.

I was born to love books.

I was born to love the truth.

When I was five, I only said what I learnt from my environment that astronauts and singer are reputable professions.

But as I aged and I got wiser. I learnt what I want and what I don’t want. And what my soul truly craves.

My soul craves self-expression.

Also in life we can’t get everything because of our circumstances.

So we need to accept everything- the successes and the failures.

I’m glad you read this line. Thanks a lot!

Image credit – https://unsplash.com/photos/astronaut-in-spacesuit-floating-in-space-Yj1M5riCKk4?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash

People understand a lot of things

What’s something most people don’t understand?

People understand a lot.

They understand –

Any suffering that they’ve been through or can relate to
Mental health issues because every household has these issues now
Injustice done to other people (like Justice for Abhaya)
Anything if you explain it to them properly

People are reasonable and they are intelligent.

India is the largest democracy in the world and I am proud to say that I believe in democracy.

So people vote leaders who then represent them in the parliament.

And basically it’s one of the right ways to run a government.

But it won’t be possible if one doesn’t have faith in people’s sound understanding and sound judgements.

There may be some things that most people don’t understand but these things are there because nobody explains it to them or because it takes a lot of time and effort to grasp them.

I’m glad you’re reading this. Thanks a lot!

Image credit – https://unsplash.com/photos/three-people-sitting-in-front-of-table-laughing-together-g1Kr4Ozfoac?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash

Pain is the greatest motivator

I’ve met and known people in my life who did great things not because they could do it but because they had to do it.

But why is that the case? Why is pain the greatest motivator instead of pleasure?

Business

All my life I wanted to start a business.

And I did start a business after high school.

But I had to close it because of my unique circumstances.

But I wasn’t doing well in that business when I ran it.

I lacked motivation and I was lazy.

I started the business because I was scared of my responsibility for studying for graduation.

At that time I was thinking about dropping from regular college and I hadn’t yet taken admission in an online degree course.

And I was lost.

Long story short, I closed that business because of my unique circumstances.

Mostly because I felt anxious about running the business.

Graduation

But then after I closed the business I had to study for graduation.

After a lot of listening to sad songs and realistic advice from YouTube, I studied for my graduation and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree.

It was at this time I felt my beliefs about the world were becoming more realistic and my mind was getting calmer.

Beliefs like “A degree is just a piece of paper” just went out the window and I realised that a degree is “more valuable than a million dollars”.

Beliefs like “psychologists don’t know anything” was replaced by “psychologists are trained professionals who know what they are doing. Their advice is backed by scientific research.”

I score 70% in my graduation which is good. (I am proud of myself no matter what because I had BPAD and I did it in spite of that.)

And this success in my graduation was not fueled by avoidance but pain.

Conclusion

If I didn’t graduate from college, I can’t get even the most basic corporate job.

Without a job there’s no income because business is not easy for most people.

I guess most of the startups fail within the first few years.

And I am not from a rich family.

This realisation was painful and I would sleep for hours during the day but one day I realised that I need to fight for my highest possibility.

And so I did. And with God’s grace I won.

So actually there is no pleasure or pain in reality. They are just perceptions of the mind.

And sometimes the truth is painful.

I guess I don’t know the scientific reason why pain is more powerful than pleasure. I guess you can tell me in the comments section.

But I hope my story shed some light on this question.

I’m glad you read this line. Thanks a lot!

Image credit – https://unsplash.com/photos/man-holding-his-left-shoulder-_zBxc8T-Y1Y?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash

I am a writer who uses his mobile phone to write and publish his work

How has technology changed your job?

You already know how technology has changed a writer’s job.

I am a writer who writes.

And various people have different ways to get started writing.

Some write on a laptop, desktop PC, Mac, while others write on paper.

I write on a PC and a mobile phone.

But I generally feel more comfortable on my mobile phone.

For me if I had to state the biggest way technology has changed my job as a writer, I would say-

The mobile phone has made writing easier.

I’m glad you’re reading this line. Thanks a lot!

Image credit – https://unsplash.com/photos/person-holding-black-iphone-4-0aRycsfH57A?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash

I’m pretty bad at saying “No”

How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?

I’m pretty bad at saying “No”.

I care too much about other people’s opinions and advice.

So when someone tells me about a goal that looks attractive, I think about it and get distracted from my main goal.

I’m working on fixing this tendency.

I’m glad you read this line. Thanks a lot!

Image credit – https://unsplash.com/photos/black-and-silver-pen-on-gray-textile-EdKCckXXRCI?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash

You’re the master of your fate, the captain of your soul

I was writing in my journal and I started questioning why I thought I was a victim.

After a few minutes I realised that I wasn’t a victim.

I am the master of my fate, the captain of my soul.

I first learnt this phrase from the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. This line is originally from the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley.

So the question is –

So what? I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul? I already know it, you might ask.

Well yes you already know it.

But in my case I have problems in life and I was blaming them and staying stuck in life.

We also do the same unknowingly of course.

We blame our circumstances and our family and our personality and focus on our weaknesses.

But what if we focus on our strengths and the positive sides of our lives?

We will realise that we’re not a victim.

I think we know we’re not a victim but we fall into the trap of thinking the opposite regularly when faced with problems which we find difficult to solve.

So we need to recharge ourselves by socializing, talking to friends and meeting positive people, read positive books and having fun.

I just wanted to remind you that you’re not a victim but the master of your fate and the captain of your soul.

I’m glad you read this. Thanks a lot!

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Empathy – A secret skill I wish I had

What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?

A definition of empathy –

the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another

–The Merriam-Webster Dictionary Definition

I wish I had this skill.

Maybe I have this skill to some degree but I wish I had more empathy.

Why do I wish for this skill?

Because empathy is in my opinion the skill that helps us be more caring, loving, understanding of other people’s suffering, peaceful,etc.

And I don’t just want to learn empathy because it is useful.

I feel that having empathy is my duty.

Why is it my duty?

Well I think it’s everybody’s duty to develop the skill of empathy.

Why do I think it’s our duty?

Because there are people fighting for change, our rights.

Feminism, Equality, LGBTQ Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter, Bahujan Lives Matter, Adivasi Lives Matter!

These movements wouldn’t be possible without empathy.

I am glad you read this line. Thanks a lot! 😊

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