Monthly Archives: March 2020

Quitters Are Not Losers

Many of us have it drilled into our head that quitting is equivalent to failure. We all have heard the proverb, ‘Winners never quit and quitters never win’. So, what exactly is quitting? The dictionary might term it as, to cease an action or course of action. Everyday parlance refers to quitting, as giving up or throwing in the towel or accepting defeat. However, is it that simple?

We are told to, ‘Try and try until we succeed’. But, how long can we keep trying, while the whole world carries on and leaves us behind? It might seem like an achievement that shows our determination and willpower to continue trying. However, what is the cost of all the attempts? What about the opportunities missed while we kept working on one goal? What about the time lost in all these failed attempts to succeed? Is any single goal worth all this?

Some might say that a few goals are worth the cost and that our scientific community and innovators would not have achieved half the world’s greatest inventions if they quit after a few attempts. We can pick any of the greatest innovations of our age, and say confidently that they were achieved only because the scientist did not quit.

Now, coming back to the meaning of quitting; to quit does not mean to give up without making a wholehearted attempt. For any task or goal or aim, we need to plan our path to success and execute the plan with dedication and determination. When faced with obstacles, we should go back to the drawing board and find a way around the roadblock. Then, proceed on our path to success. If we quit at the first sign of difficulties, then we can term the act as giving up. This is wrong and this attitude will never lead to success.

However, despite going back to the drawing board multiple times, if we are not able to find a workaround or if we continue to fail, it may be time to step back and pick another choice. It is evident that with the available resources, you cannot achieve success. It is wise to stop trying until you can find new resources or new ideas. I would not call this quitting or losing or giving up.

Repeatedly trying to walk into a wall and expecting it to become a doorway is not a wise thing. We needn’t stop every time we face a wall. Instead, we should stop this course of action and plan a new way to get to the destination. Just because we quit using plan A does not mean that we do not have a plan B or C to succeed.

Lessons Learnt From COVID-19 Pandemic.

Today, all headlines are dominated by information about or related to COVID-19. Social media too is inundated with the same topic, even comics and jokes are not spared. I don’t blame them for this. If one looks at the latest updates, a staggering number of people are infected in different countries around the world. There are close to 200,000 people affected in 146 countries and the number of fresh new cases continues to rise.

According to the World Health Organisation website, “Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from a common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).”

In light of this, it is very easy for people to panic. More than fear of our safety, we are concerned about our loved ones who are elderly and vulnerable. It scares us to hear about all the people in China, Italy, Iran, Korea, Spain or anyone in any other country who are suffering and live in fear.

Thinking about what we can do to help the situation has motivated me to write this post today. Here are a few precautions and measures we can take up to help our family and friends, in improving the situation (many of these things we already practice in our daily life).

  • No more handshakes and hugs to greet people. From now on, join your hands and say “Namaste”. 
  • No more touching or rubbing the face unnecessarily.
  • Washing our hands frequently is an excellent habit. Especially after we visit the washroom, before and after meals, before and after we meet people and lastly, after we cough or sneeze.
  • Cover your nose and mouth while coughing and sneezing, preferably with tissue paper or fabric as the germs die after some time on the surface. Always,, dispose of used tissues carefully, so that the infection does not spread.
  • Some of us have the habit of touching different surfaces, even when not required. For example, we run our hands along the railing or rest our hands on a table etc. Try to reduce touching unsanitized surfaces when you are in public places.
  • For now, until we get a grip over the current situation, avoid crowded areas and maintain an arms distance from people.
  • This particular one is important for the current situation. If possible, stock up the pantry to last for two weeks, so that you can avoid going out frequently. I don’t recommend panic buying, but this is just a way to minimize the need for frequent visits to public spaces. 
  • There are many herbs and spices, that boost immunity and help alleviate the problem. Tulsi (basil) tea is said to relieve and prevent respiratory illnesses. Turmeric boiled in milk helps relieve irritation in the throat. Eucalyptus oil helps to ease out nasal congestion. There are many other such small remedies which are worth trying.
  • Take vitamins regularly. A healthy body has a better chance at fighting infection. At the same time, I want to stress the importance of a healthy and balanced diet. Fruits and vegetables supply the body with the required nutrients to build our immune system. 
  • Sleep is as important as a healthy diet. Being deprived of proper sleep can hamper the body’s chances to heal itself. Get a good night’s rest and by that, I mean a full eight hours of sleep. The results will be excellent for your health.
  • Everyone should adopt a mild exercise routine. Yoga has many exercises that help keep the respiratory system healthy. Some very useful yoga asanas are Bhastrika, Kapalbhati, Bahya Pranayam, Agnisar, Anulom Vilom, Bhramari, Udgeeth etc. We can find step-by-step instructions on these asanas, on the internet and Youtube.
  • And lastly, do not panic and stress about what might happen. Watching continuous news updates on the spread of this virus can add to your stress levels. We all know that stress kills, so do not lose your cool over the Coronavirus. Take all precautions and have faith in your preparedness.

These are some things that came to my mind. If you have more suggestions to add to my list, I will be extremely happy to hear from all of you. However, I would like to add here that the above precautions are something that will help us in life, irrespective of a virus pandemic or not. Cultivating these habits will keep us safe in the long run. Wishing you all good health.

It is Time I Make My Own Decisions

How many of us can honestly say that all the decisions we make in our life are our own? Not me. I have been asked this question and I realized that most of the decisions that I make are not my own. I merely do what the situation demands or what I am obligated to do. Are you in a similar conundrum?

All the women would be thinking, such is the life of a woman. As children, our parents make decisions for us. As teenagers, our friends and boyfriends hold the strings. After marriage, our husband dictates our life and later our children do it. But, here is a shocker, men don’t fare much better either. It is either parent, peer pressure, society, a boss, familial pressure that dictates most of the decisions we make. Basically, everyone is being managed and manipulated into making decisions that we don’t agree with them.

A most common example to this point is the college course that one chooses. Most would think that the course would depend on our strengths or on our dream jobs. However, many of us end up taking up a course that is considered to be a popular choice or one that our parents wanted to take up. We end up with the responsibility of fulfilling their dream at the cost of ours.

The clothes we wear are often prescribed by friends and society. Whether we like them or not, we end up following some fashion trends, just so we can fit in. The office we work and our post is mostly determined by peer pressure. How many times have we heard the words, “Your cousin has already got promoted to a manager, how come you are still a…..?”, “We are planning to apply for XYZ interview, why aren’t you applying too?.

Recently, I met my cousin, who went over budget to buy an apartment in a particular locality. Even though the whole place is stuck in litigation due to environmental issues, they bought it. When I asked them why they did not check all this before booking their apartment, their answer astounded me. Apparently, many of their co-workers had purchased property there. They convinced my cousin to go ahead despite the court case. Their logic was when so many people have bought land there, the court will rule in favour of the majority. I found their justification warped, but my cousin could not escape the constant stress from her co-workers.

These are just a few simple examples that I have quoted here. Many of us make more risky and damaging decisions because of family obligations or societal demands. The latest trends of TikTok challenges, Facebook challenges are a case to this point. We have seen many teenagers and children buckle under the pressure of friends groups and take up drinking, drugs etc. So how does one avoid this? How can you become immune to this pressure?

I have observed that self-aware people, confident people, focused people are immune to this pressure to a large extent. When you are aware of your inabilities, more than abilities, you can make an informed decision for yourself. You will not fall prey to emotional blackmail when you are confident in your decisions and abilities. One more way to avoid peer pressure is when you are focused on your goals. Your determination to achieve goals will keep you from being distracted and helps you stick to your course of action. A supporting and understanding family will also go a long way in avoiding these stresses and wrong decisions. At the end of the day, everyone will have to find a way out of this by themselves. There isn’t a straightforward solution that works for all, we need to find the right mix to treat each problem differently.