SELF ACTUALIZATION MADE SIMPLE

SELF ACTUALIZATION MADE SIMPLE

Philosophical Musings of a “Self-Actualized” Veteran

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Literature teaches you more about the art of living rather than sermons and moral lectures.

I learnt more from literature than from high-falutin philosophy or spiritualism.

And of all genres of literature, it is short stories which gave me insightful tips on the art of living and vignettes on philosophy of life.

You must have heard of the term: “Self-Actualization”.

I first came across this term in the 1970’s when I read about Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs while studying the management module during my engineering course.

We were told that the Hierarchy of Needs has 5 levels of Human Needs:

1. Physiological

2. Safety and Security

 

3. Love and Belonging

4. Esteem

 

5. Self-Actualization

I understood what the first four needs meant – but for many years I wondered as to what was the meaning of the term “self-actualization”.

One day I read a fiction short story called THE NIGHT TRAIN AT DEOLI written by Ruskin Bond.

“The Night Train at Deoli” by Ruskin Bond is my favourite Love Story.

It is a simple story of inchoate and unrequited love – which happens to all of us in our youth.

An eighteen year old boy meets a girl at a quaint railway station called Deoli – where the train halts for a few minutes.

It is love at first sight.

On the return journey after his vacation, the boy eagerly searches for the girl the moment the train reaches Deoli.

He is delighted to see her on the platform.

They look at each other.

They spend ethereal moments of unspoken love, they delicately hold hands.

Suddenly the guard blows his whistle and the train starts moving.

“I have to go to Delhi,” the boy says.

The girl replies, “I do not have to go anywhere.”

This is exactly what I felt one morning, during my walk in the lush green park on the banks of the Mula River, and I said to myself – “I do not have to go anywhere.”  

I felt that I have achieved everything I wanted to achieve.

I have accomplished whatever I wanted to accomplish in life.

I have done whatever I wanted to do.

I am living the life I always wanted to live.

Now – I am satisfied with life – I am happy where I am – I am content with what I have.

And so – I can say to myself: “I do not have to go anywhere”.

Now I realize what self-actualization means.

Self Actualization is a state of mind when you can say to yourself: “I do not have to go anywhere”.

Yes – you have reached the stage of self-actualization when you can say to yourself: “I do not have to go anywhere”.

You have realized your full potential.

What you can be – you have become.

You are living the life you always wanted to live.

You have reached where you wanted to reach – so now you do not have to go anywhere.

Have you reached this stage of supreme satisfaction in life?

Are you are happy wherever you are?

Are you content with what you have?

Can you say to yourself:

“I have reached where I wanted to reach and now I do not have to go anywhere”

If you can say this to yourself – you have achieved Self-Actualization.

Self Actualization is when you do not have to go anywhere – you do not want to go anywhere.

Self Actualization is a great feeling.

You can take my word for it.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

1. This is based on my personal experience. It may or may not work for you. So please do due diligence before trying out this technique.

2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

This is a Revised and Updated Version of My Article I DO NOT HAVE TO GO ANYWHERE Posted by me Vikram Karve in my Academic and Creative Writing Journal Blog on July 7, 2013 - Posted by Vikram Karve at 7/07/2013 12:15:00 PM at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/07/i-do-not-have-to-go-anywhere.html

Humor in Uniform - JIGGERY-POKERY IN THE OFFICERS MESS - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH

JIGGERY-POKERY IN THE OFFICERS MESS
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH 
A Spoof
By 
VIKRAM KARVE

JIGGERY-POKERY IN THE OFFICERS MESS

THE GRAVY AND THE MEAT

There is a hilarious song in the classic 1950s Comedy Movie “At War With The Army” starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis with the lyrics “The Navy Gets the Gravy and The Army Gets the Beans” sung by Jerry Lewis.

In the anecdote I am going to narrate the “navy” was indeed getting the “gravy” while a freeloader was getting the “beans” (meat).

It was in the latter half of the year 1980, I think, that I was doing the “bum job” of Wardroom Mess Secretary in a shore training establishment.

As I have told you earlier, in the Navy you have got to be the Jack of all Trades but the Master of One.

We were served mutton twice a week and I noticed that the mutton curry was full of bones and there was hardly any meat.

The other in-living officers had also been complaining about the lack of meat pieces in the “bony curry”.

This was surprising since we bought quite a generous quantity of mutton and as per my calculations each officer should have got a portion of at least 200 grams of mutton which is quite a sizeable quantity (200 grams of meat are about 5-6 chunks of mutton)

On inquiry the steward told me that the PMC was taking three kilograms of mutton on payment every week from the Wardroom.

“But surely you include this amount when you purchase mutton, don’t you?” I asked.

“Yes, Sir,” the steward said, “but he wants Boneless Mutton. He has told me to remove the bones and only then weigh the mutton. But he is to be charged for only three kilograms at the market rate. Sir, the weight of the bones is roughly half the total weight and that is why you in-living officers eating in the mess get more bones in the curry.”

“Oh,” I said, understanding his game, “call me the next time you buy mutton.”

On D-Day I asked him weigh 6 kilograms of mutton.

Then I asked him to remove the bones and weigh the boneless mutton.

As I estimated the boneless mutton weighed roughly 3 kilograms.

“Send the 3 Kilograms of the boneless mutton to his house. Charge him for 6 Kilograms of mutton. And yes – remember to keep the 3 kilograms of bones carefully in the freezer. In case he complains – you just tell him what I did – and give him his 3 kilograms of bones,” I said.

We did this for three weeks.

As I expected, at the end of the month, when the mess bills were distributed, the PMC came rushing to the wardroom mess office complaining that he had been overcharged.

I explained to him what we had done: “Sir, you wanted only boneless mutton. So we got 6 Kilograms of mutton for you and removed the bones which yielded 3 Kilograms of the boneless mutton which was sent to your house. We have kept your 3 Kilograms of bones carefully in the freezer in case you want them.”

Then, I gestured to the chief steward.

The Chief Steward went to the freezer and got the packet of carefully preserved bones.

The PMC was promptly offered the sizeable amount of carefully preserved bones – which were rightfully his, since he had paid for them.

The PMC was furious. 

He walked out of the mess office in a huff. 

He did not take the packet of bones with him.

I told the steward to feed the bones to the dogs who hung around the cookhouse for scraps and leftover food.

After this episode, I knew that my days as Mess Secretary were numbered.

Surely, I would be sacked as Wardroom Officers Mess Secretary (which is what I actually wanted since I was fed up of this thankless “bum job”).

It happened faster than I thought.

The very next morning it dawned on the powers-that-be that I was overburdened with my main primary instructional duties and it was not fair to make me perform additional mess secretary duties. 

A suitable “morally pliable” officer was appointed as the new Mess Secretary.

And soon – things were back to normal.

“Normal service was resumed” – as they say in the navy.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH 

PETTY CORRUPTION IS THE FIRST STEP ON THE ROAD TO GRAND CORRUPTION 

I have seen this happening often – the moment someone attains a high position or senior rank he thinks that it his prerogative to freeload.

Many Senior Officers assume that Freeloading is a Privilege of Rank.

Yes, Rank Has Its Privileges  (RHIP) 

But I am sure RHIP does not mean that you have the licence to make your juniors pay for what you consume and become a freeloader at someone else’s expense. 

There is no free lunch.

Whenever you eat or drink something, someone has to pay for it.

If you do not pay for what you consume then someone else has to pay for what you consume. 

When a person misuses his rank or position and “freeloads” then someone else has to bear the brunt (since money does not grow on trees).

This someone else who pays for your freeloading may be your juniors (or the “organisation” or the taxpayer or you may fleece some other vulnerable people, like contractors). 

Some officers, when they attain high rank, start thinking that it is their privilege to freeload.

They feel that everything they eat, drink, use and consume must be given to them free of cost. 

Many Senior Officers interpret that RHIP means that once you are promoted to high rank then everything is gratis or “on-the-house”.

Freeloading may be “petty corruption”.

But “petty corruption” is the first step on the road to “grand corruption”.

As Lao Tzu wrote in Tao Te Ching:

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”.

This is true of corruption as well.

The journey to “grand corruption” starts with “petty corruption”.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

1. This story is a spoof, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.

2. All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

Revised Version of My Story Earlier Posted by me Vikram Karve in my Academic and Creative Writing Journal Blog at 11/02/2012 08:15:00 PM at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/11/boneless-mutton-navy-gets-gravy-and.html

Humor in Uniform - SPOKEN REPUTATION - Story of My Ambitious Coursemate

HUMOUR IN UNIFORM

STORY OF MY AMBITIOUS COURSEMATE

SPOKEN REPUTATION
Unforgettable Characters I Met in the Navy
A Spoof
By
VIKRAM KARVE

There is a saying in the Navy: 

“If you want to know the true character of an officer – ask his coursemates”.

Seniors will have one view of an officer – juniors will have another view – but it is his peers who will know the officer inside-out – especially his coursemates who have seen the officers from close quarters from academy days.

Here is a story of me and one of my ambitious coursemates.


MY AMBITIOUS COURSEMATE

Long ago – at a meeting – where a lot of “brass” was present – I profusely praised a fellow naval officer who was a coursemate of mine.

After the meeting, my coursemate came to my office.

I thought he had come to thank me – and he would utter some words of gratitude.

Instead he said: “I want to make one sincere request to you.”

“You know I will do anything for a coursemate,” I said, “Go ahead – tell me – what can I do for you?”

“Please don’t praise me like you did today – especially in front of senior officers,” he pleaded.

“But why shouldn’t I praise you?” I asked, “I am your well-wisher.”

My coursemate looked at me and he said: “I know you are my well-wisher. But you have a most terrible reputation with most senior officers. So – If you praise me – it may have the opposite effect.”

EPILOGUE

My coursemate returned the favour a few years later.

By nature – I am an honest, straightforward and outspoken person.

Well, as far as senior officers were concerned – my being honest was fine.

My straightforwardness was tolerated.

But my outspokenness had earned me a reputation of being a tactless, abrasive and “difficult” officer.

Once, during a meeting, I expressed my views in my usual blunt manner.

After the meeting, I overheard a senior officer remark to my coursemate about me: “Your coursemate really calls a spade a spade.”

My coursemate “praised” me with these flattering words: “Sir – he does not call a spade a spade – he calls a spade a bulldozer.”

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

1. This story is a spoof, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.

2. All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

Revised Version of My Story Earlier Posted by me Vikram Karve at 5/01/2014 12:45:00 AM in my Academic and Creative Writing Journal Blog at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/05/humor-in-uniform-height-of-career.html

Humor in Uniform - EVERYONE IS NOT NAKED IN THE BATHROOM

I am sure you enjoyed reading my “Memoir” titled HAMAM MEIN SAB NANGE HAIN  (Everyone is Naked in the Bathroom) – the previous post in my blog at url: 

http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/01/humor-in-uniform-everyone-in-naked-in.html

Here is Part 2 of the Story  – HAMAM ME SAB NANGE NAHIN HAIN (Everyone in Not Naked in the Bathroom)

Continued from Part 1 – HAMAM MEIN SAB NANGE HAIN  (Everyone is Naked in the Bathroom)

HAMAM ME SAB NANGE NAHIN HAIN

(Everyone is Not Naked in the Bathroom)

Hilarious Memories of My Unforgettable Navy Days

A Spoof

By

VIKRAM KARVE

HAMAM ME SAB NANGE NAHIN HAIN – a Spoof by VIKRAM KARVE

The best thing about this ship was the Executive Officer (XO), an aviator with a cheerful temperament and friendly nature, who never pulled rank and took everyone along – he also happened to be the PMC – and the result was that, despite the hardships, we had a very happy wardroom, and this cordial atmosphere percolated to the lower decks as well.

The XO did not demand any special privileges, he had quite a laissez faire approach to work, and he would happily join us in the “Is Haman Mein Sab Nange Hain” combined bathing sessions.

You may say that I am generalizing, and you may not agree with me, but in my opinion, aviators make the best XO’s on ships.

On my earlier ship too, it was like a breath of fresh air when an aviator replaced a most painful nit-picking XO.

Aviators came on board ships for their “mandatory sea tenure” and then went back to flying. 

So they wanted a happy sea-time and did not harass the crew.

Accordingly, after spending one year on board our ship, our aviator XO went back to his first love, aviation duties, and the Captain changed too.

The new XO, a Communicator, was a namby-pamby wimp, and, like most communicators, he was a smooth-talking pernickety pain in the arse.

“He is a bloody prick,” said an officer who had served with the XO on an earlier ship.

“You mean prig?”

“I mean “prick” – P R I C K,” he spelt it out.

“Okay let’s say he is a priggish prick.”

Soon it was unanimously agreed that the new XO was a “priggish prick”, but since he was more of a “prick” than a “prig”, everyone called him “prick”.

The new XO found fault with everything, and worse, he blamed his predecessor, the well-liked aviator XO, for being too lenient and spoiling the crew.

A constipated, frustrated “killjoy”, the new XO tried his best to make life as painful as possible.

Though small in stature, light in weight, and effeminate in appearance, the new XO feigned a rather amusing spectacle as he tried to pull rank and throw his weight around trying to demonstrate that he was the second-in-command of the ship.

This snobbish posturing may have worked elsewhere, but it cut no ice on this ship which had a hardened crew.

Ever since he had arrived, the XO had started a running battle with the Flight Commander over OOW and OOD duties.

Though the Flight Commander was a qualified watchkeeper, by convention, he did not do watchkeeping duties on this ship, and the other Executive Officers did not seem to mind.

However, the new XO embarked on a holy crusade to “teach him a lesson” and get the aviators to do watchkeeping duties, and indeed the new XO wanted to teach everyone a lesson, especially us from the earlier crew.

Someone said that the XO was an Air Force grounded cadet, sent to the Navy, and because of this, he hated all pilots, since he had failed to be one.

One evening, during a longish sailing, feeling grimy without a bath thanks to the strict water routine due to the perpetual shortage of water, I was sitting in my cabin finishing some paperwork.

“You want to have a hot water bath?” the Flight Commander said, peeping into my cabin.

“Hot water bath?” I said, surprised, looking at the Flight Commander, who looked freshly bathed and smelt of soap.

“Go quickly to the bathroom. The fresh-water-tanky will be waiting for you with a bucket of hot water. After you finish your bath, ask him to get another bucket of hot water for Guns – I’ll tell Guns.”

“You got water with you on the helo or what?” I asked.

He laughed, and said, “Come on, don’t be crazy. The hot water bucket was meant for “prick” – I hijacked it.”

“What the bloody hell? “Prick” is bathing in hot water when others don’t even get a drop of water to drink?”

“After Guns finishes, we’ll tell Senior – I wonder if he knows what’s happening?”

As usual, there had been a strict water routine in this sailing too, so who could refuse the offer of a bath – and that too the luxury of a hot water bath.

So, I rushed to the bathroom.

The fresh-water-tanky was standing by with a bucket of hot water.

The moment he saw me in a towel, his face dropped, and the fresh-water-tanky pleaded, “Sir, the water routine is only in the morning. Sir, this water is meant for the XO. Flight Commander took one bucket, now you will have a bath?”

“Have you taken permission from Senior Engineer?” I shouted.

“No, Sir – XO asked me not to tell anyone.”

“From where have you got the hot water?”

“I got it from the galley, Sir.”

“After I finish, go and get one more bucket for the Gunnery Officer,” I said, “and get one more for the Senior Engineer.”

“Sir, what about the XO – there will be no water left,” the hapless fresh-water-tanky pleaded.

“The XO can do dry cleaning. Now go and get water for Guns and Senior,” I ordered him.

The XO was waiting in his cabin for the fresh-water-tanky to “report readiness” to him.

After some time, the XO got impatient.

So, the XO walked down to the officers’ bathroom.

As usual, the XO was properly turned out (in an officer-like manner) wearing a bath-robe.

The XO opened the door of the officers’ bathroom.

The sight that he saw totally startled him.

Two totally naked hairy scary hulks, Guns and Senior, were bathing away to glory.

Magnanimously, they invited the XO to join them.

The XO beat a hasty retreat.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

1. This story is a spoof, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.

2. All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

This Story was earlier posted by me Vikram Karve in my Academic and Creative Writing Journal Blog Posted by Vikram Karve at 2/01/2014 05:55:00 PM  at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/02/humor-in-uniform-fresh-water-tanky.html