Monday Motivation – Are You on the Wrong Road...?

MOTIVATIONAL PEP TALK

ARE YOU STEPPING ON THE WRONG ROAD...? 

BEWARE OF YOUR FIRST STEP
Inspirational Pep Talk for My Young Friends
By

VIKRAM KARVE

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step

So – make sure that your first step is not on the wrong road

Your first step must be on the right road – which takes you towards your Goal

BEWARE OF YOUR FIRST STEP

When I was a small boy – in the 1960’s – around 50 years ago – my grandfather used to tell me a saying in Marathi – which roughly translated meant:

If you don’t want to go a certain town – then don’t take the road going towards that town

Well – obviously – the word “town” is a metaphor. 

“Town” can refer to anything that is “undesirable”.

This “town” can be a habit, a person, a place, a career, a value system – yes – the word “town” can mean anything you consider undesirable, detrimental, harmful or damaging to you.

For example:

If you want to enjoy good health – why smoke that first cigarette...?

Your first cigarette will lead to the next – and then – the next cigarette will lead to one more – and cigarette will follow cigarette – and gradually – smoking will become a habit – and soon – you will get addicted to smoking tobacco.

After you become a smoker – addicted to tobacco and nicotine – one day – you will realize that smoking is adversely affecting your health.

Then – it will become difficult for you to quit smoking and retrace your steps – and “rewind” back to where you started from before you had your first smoke.

So – if your goal is good health – avoid the temptation for smoking that first cigarette – don’t take the first step on the road to bad health.

Instead – take the first step to good health by beginning to exercise. 

There is no point in getting addicted to health-destroying activities like smoking.

It is the same with alcohol and other addictions. 

By the time you realize that alcohol is adversely affecting your health – you may have already become “alcohol dependent” – and – it will become difficult for you to quit drinking.

If you don’t want to become an alcoholic – why have that first drink of alcohol...?

However – if your chief objective in life is to become a drunkard – then it is a different story altogether – please go ahead and have that first drink – and have many more drinks – and embark on your life’s journey towards achieving your long term life goal of becoming an alcoholic...

Why experiment with drugs – when you don’t want to become a drug addict...?

Many young persons fall victim to “peer pressure”

I have seen so many youngsters taking that first step in the wrong direction under peer pressure.

That is why you must select your friends carefully.

Why make friends with individuals whose behaviour and life-goals are not in congruence with your own goals, aims and purpose in life...?

It is the same with gambling too.

If you don’t want to become a gambler – then why go to the race-course or casino or play card games with stakes like flush, rummy or “teen-patti”...?

Some will argue that you must try out all these “vices” for curiosity sake – but then remember the saying – “curiosity killed the cat”.

Sometimes your “first step” experimenting dangerously can go awry – and ruin your entire life.

The risk is just not worth it. 

My friends who are reading this will say that I am preaching what I did not practice.

They are right.

It is easy to pontificate and give moral lectures to others – but let me tell you from my own first-hand experience that I too started drinking and smoking after I joined the Navy more than 40 years ago in the 1970’s.

I started drinking and smoking mainly due to peer pressure and the “conducive” social environment – and it took me more than 25 years to give up these “minor vices” – and permanently quit smoking and drinking. 

I never fancied playing cards or gambling – and though I did enjoy going to the horse races occasionally – it was primarily because I enjoyed the sport rather than the betting and “punting”. 

It is difficult to resist peer pressure and temptation when you are young – and maybe – I could not do it and succumbed to peer pressure/temptation.

But – you must not succumb to peer pressure or temptation.

You must beware of your “first step”. 

ARE YOU ON THE RIGHT ROAD GOING TOWARDS YOUR GOAL...?

OR – ARE YOU ON THE WRONG ROAD...?

Remember the metaphorical wisdom:

“Why take the “first step” in the direction of the “town” where you don’t want to go...?”

This metaphorical saying is relevant in other important aspects of life as well.

If you want to remain honest – why pay or accept a bribe in the first instance...?

Why associate with corrupt and dishonest persons...?

If you are an ethical and morally upright person – why take up a job or business which requires you to be morally pliable...? 

Why join an organisation where there is so much corruption that an honest person cannot survive...?

If you want to achieve spiritual goals in life – why make friends with “sharaabis” and “shabaabis” (drunk and debauched persons)...?

If you are spiritually inclined – is it not much better for you to spend time with like-minded spiritually inclined people...?

If Godliness is your goal – then is it not better to attend “satsangs” – and religious discourses – rather than indulge in wild rave parties or freak out in drunken orgies...?

If you desire a life of tranquility and inner peace – why take up a career or job which is fast-paced, hectic, stressful and “noisy”...?

Isn’t it better to look for comparatively hassle-free vocation which is in harmony with your values and goals in life...?

Why start a “work-hard & party-hard” social lifestyle which is not in harmony with your long term life-goal of a peaceful, tranquil and healthy life...?

Well – if your life’s ambition is to be a “Page 3” Celebrity – then it is a different matter altogether – and – you must choose your “first step” accordingly in that direction. 

The choice is yours. 

You have to decide what you want. 

Everyone has different goals and no one can be judgmental about another person’s goals.

You have to decide what you want (the destination “town” you want to reach) – and then – move in that direction.

But please don’t take the road which leads towards the wrong “town” – where you don’t want to go.

Why go in the direction of a place you don’t want to reach...?

Why travel towards a wrong destination...?

Remember – once you embark upon a “journey” – it will be difficult and wasteful to retrace your steps.

If you are going in the wrong direction– one day you will realize that you are on the wrong road of life – and you will want to turn back to where you began your “journey” – and then – reorient yourself and start “walking” on the “right” road towards your actual goal.

Time and tide wait for none – so – it is not possible to “rewind” your “clock”.

Now just imagine the amount of time and resources you have wasted in travelling on the “wrong” road – just because of that one small “first step” you took in the “wrong” direction.

That is why – when you are at any crossroad of life – the first step you take in a certain direction is important – because once you begin your journey in that direction – it is difficult to stop, turn around, retrace your steps and come back to the starting point.

Then after coming back to the crossroad point – from where you had started your journey – you may now decide to start “walking” in the direction of the “town” where you actually wanted to go. 

But it may be too late.

I am not being judgmental.

It is your life.

You have to decide what you want from life and where you want to go.

And once you have decided the destination “town” you want to reach – then – take that first bold step in that direction – and “bash on regardless” – on the road that leads to your chosen “destination”.

It may be apt to quote the words of the Chinese Taoist Philosopher Lao Tzu once again:

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

THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH ONE STEP

SO – MAKE SURE THAT YOUR FIRST STEP IS NOT ON THE WRONG ROAD

Your first step must be on the right road which takes you towards your Goal (the “town” you want to reach)

Remember what my grandfather told me: 

If you don’t want to go a certain “town” – then don’t take the road going towards that town

Beware of your first step. 

Do not succumb to Peer Pressure and start doing things which are not consonant and congruent with your aims, goals and objectives in life.

Decide your goal – and then – take your first step in that direction – and then march on with full gusto till your goal is reached.

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:

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)

     

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Revised Version of My Article First Posted by me Vikram Karve at 11/04/2012 11:33:00 PM in this blog at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/11/the-journey-of-thousand-miles-begins.html and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/09/beware-of-first-step-on-wrong-road-pep.html  and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/09/self-help-beware-of-your-first-step.html and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2016/08/motivational-pep-talk-are-you-stepping.html

“Reverse Osmosis” in Human Behaviour – “Bad” Prevails Over the “Good”

“BAD” TENDS TO PREVAIL OVER THE “GOOD”

REVERSE OSMOSIS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

Musings of a Retired Veteran

By

VIKRAM KARVE

“REVERSE OSMOSIS” in HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

“BAD” TENDS TO INFLUENCE THE “GOOD”

Each individual has some good points and some bad points.

Yes – every person has some positive attributes and some negative attributes.

When two individuals interact – and they become friends or colleagues – we expect that each one will imbibe the “good aspects” of the other one.

But on many occasions exactly the opposite happens – and each one picks up the “bad habits” of the other one.

In most cases – the “bad” tends to influence the “good”. 

In fact – “bad” prevails over the “good”

It is very rare that the “good” wins over the “bad”.

This phenomenon of “reverse osmosis” is more predominant in youngsters who are of an impressionable age where peer pressure influences you and dominates your actions.

Let us take a scenario of youngsters who join the Defence Services – Army, Navy or Air Force.

Suppose a young man who is a non-drinker in civilian life joins the Navy.

He has shipmates, friends and course-mates who drink Alcohol.

Tell me – which is more likely:

1. Will the shipmates who are drinkers pick up the positive virtue of temperance from the non-drinker – and – will they all quit drinking alcohol and become teetotallers...?

or

2. Will the non-drinker “emulate” his friends and start drinking alcohol...? 

Experience shows that the second option is more likely.

Most of us picked up our smoking and drinking habits emulating our smoker and drinker friends – did we not...?

Yes – if you are a non-smoker – and – you have smoker friends – you are more likely to become a smoker.

It is unlikely that all your smoker friends will emulate you and become non-smokers – will they give up their smoking habit – and become a non-smoker like you. 

It is the same with drinking and other addictions too.

Think of your school and college days – and – think about all the habits you picked up in your youth.

It may be due to peer pressure or other reasons – but – we tend to pick up bad habits more easily from those we interact with – instead of imbibing their good points.

It is the same with other bad habits like drinking, gambling and harmful addictions and undesirable activities.

It is more common to see good persons “falling” into bad company and ruining their lives.

On the contrary – it is quite rare to see a “bad” person being reformed by “good” company.

You must have seen many persons “falling” in bad company.

But have you seen any person “rising” in good company...?

It is easier to slide down the slippery slope of vices. 

It is difficult to climb up the steep gradient of virtue.

REVERSE OSMOSIS in and out of Uniform

CIVILIANS IN UNIFORM and SOLDIERS IN CIVILIAN DRESS

This phenomenon of “reverse osmosis” happens at the group level and organizational level too.

When two organizations interact we expect that each organization will imbibe the positive aspects of the other’s organizational culture.

However – sometimes exactly the opposite happens.

Let me give you an example from my own experience.

When I was in the Navy – I was once posted to an institution called IAT Pune.

IAT was an inter-service training and research organization.

There were officers of two different cadres posted in IAT:

1. Uniformed Defence Officers of the Army Navy and Air Force

and

2. Civilian Research Scientists

It was expected that when these two different types of cadres interacted with each other – each cadre would inculcate the positive aspects of the other.

I thought that the “laid back” scientists would imbibe the good habits of punctuality and discipline from the defence service officers.

I also expected that the “do-as-you-are-told” regimented “soldiers” would cultivate a right-brain “out of the box” thinking approach and imbibe a “scientific temper” from the scientists.

To my amusement – I observed exactly the opposite.

The “Soldiers” were quick to embrace the “slack discipline” and the laid-back “chalta hai” attitude of the Scientists.

In contrast – the “Scientists” were quick to adopt the “rigid thinking” and “hierarchical rank-consciousness” prevalent among uniformed Military Officers.

In fact – some scientists became so rank conscious and were so sensitive about their “status” – that they were obsessed with things like “inter-se seniority” and “rank equivalence”  of Scientists – especially vis-a-vis military officers and civilian bureaucrats – and – this rank consciousness often resulted in strained relations, ego clashes and turf wars between Uniformed Service Officers and Civilian Scientists.

Despite the fact that they called themselves “Scientists” – these “Boffins” were extremely hypersensitive about their place in the “pecking order”.

It was amusing to see these “boffins” wasting most of their energy in arguments debating on this contentious issue of “inter-se seniority” vis-a-vis military officers and getting agitated over disputes as to who was senior and who was junior – instead of getting on with their scientific research work.

Research Scientists had imbibed Military Hierarchy Concepts which are totally alien to a “scientific temper”.

Some civilians were afflicted by military “rankomania” to such an extent – that one “senior” scientist even demanded that he be saluted by uniformed troops.

The upshot of all this was that most “research scientists” became more interested in “administering” and “managing” instead of devoting themselves to conducting scientific research.

The end result of this soldier-civilian interaction was that you got exactly the opposite of what you had envisaged.

Thanks to “reverse osmosis” – the mutual interaction between servicemen and scientists ended up producing “civilians in uniform” and “soldiers in civil dress”.

I have seen this phenomenon of “reverse osmosis” happening in other “quasi-military” organisations like DGQA, DRDO, MES, NCC and in Delhi Centric Defence Headquarters and Offices as well – where there are a large number of civilians interacting with uniformed service officers and personnel.  

Such are the ironies, paradoxes, incongruities and absurdities of life which you can observe all around you.

This phenomenon of “reverse osmosis” can be seen during “jointmanship” and in many tri-service units and inter-service institutions.

You bring together two different sets of individuals hoping that each will imbibe the good aspects of the other – but exactly the opposite happens.

You want “osmosis” – but – you end up getting “reverse osmosis”.

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)

     

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

 

This Article was written by me Vikram Karve in June 2012 and earlier posted by me Vikram Karve on 15 September 20129/15/2012 12:57:00 PM in this blog at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/09/good-habits-and-bad-habits-reverse.html and url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/07/civilians-in-uniform-and-soldiers-in.html and url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/06/humor-in-uniform-civilians-in-uniform.html  and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/06/humor-in-uniform-reverse-osmosis.html