Words have always played an important role in my life. From books to dialogues in movies, to things that people say aloud, if you can learn to look beyond the obvious and understand the profound, you would find many answers staring at you in the face. Most of us take everything that’s said or written at face value. Very rarely do we stop to psychoanalyze why a certain sentence was uttered or what was it that made a certain author write the things he has.
Yet most of us have been influenced in more ways than one by the things that we read. Good authors have the power to make you spend hours together pondering over the words they write. Words that make you question preconceived notions and beliefs. Or words that force you to think along lines you never knew existed. Either ways these are the words that will change your life. And that is what Ayn’s writings mean to me.
Most people I know who like her writing fall in two categories. One, who like her ideas cause they are radical, something they would never have been able to think up of. The other are the ones who have heard she’s good, and hence believe that its in vogue to rave about her work.
To me, Ayn Rand is my counselor and guide. During the formative years of my life, the things that disturbed me the most was that everything I genuinely believed and lived by, was something that was questioned by the world at large. Ayn’s writing gave me the strength to fight for what I believed in. They gave me a sanction to question, to understand and to form my own beliefs. She helped me put in words the creed that I had started living by. Hence no matter whether I write or not, my posts will always keep appearing with her words. The words that changed my life.
Thought for the day:
"To acheive you need thought. You have to know what you are doing and that's real power"
Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Morality
"Morality is the judgement to distinguish right and wrong, vision to see the truth, courage to act upon it, dedication to that which is good, integrity to stand by the good at any price."
-Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged.
-Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Things that make me write.
I am not a writer. I do not aim to inspire or move others by my writing. What I write is usually a monologue I have with myself. One of the main reasons I write is because, writing helps me get my thoughts in order. Usually there’s so much going on in my mind that I find it difficult to understand what exactly I am thinking about. Writing is my way of organizing myself, concentrating on a topic at hand without digressing and reaching a conclusion.
More often than not I end up writing when I’m sad, lonely or depressed. Hopefully, I always try not to let that reflect in my writing. When I write, there is no pretense. What I feel is what comes out clear and strong. And this is one of the main reasons I do not blog frequently. I feel vulnerable opening my deepest feelings in public. I know this sounds funny considering the fact that I only have like 5 posts put up. But this is probably the most honest post I’ve put up till date. (Consider this a justification to all my friends and readers, about why I refuse to write).
Till date I was under the impression that the only people who read the stuff I wrote, was my dear friend and advisor, Mr. Pinto and me. Today I had the good fortune to find out that there are other people too in the world outside who seem to take an interest in what I have to say. Needless to say (for today at best) I’m motivated enough to at least put up one more post.
More often than not I end up writing when I’m sad, lonely or depressed. Hopefully, I always try not to let that reflect in my writing. When I write, there is no pretense. What I feel is what comes out clear and strong. And this is one of the main reasons I do not blog frequently. I feel vulnerable opening my deepest feelings in public. I know this sounds funny considering the fact that I only have like 5 posts put up. But this is probably the most honest post I’ve put up till date. (Consider this a justification to all my friends and readers, about why I refuse to write).
Till date I was under the impression that the only people who read the stuff I wrote, was my dear friend and advisor, Mr. Pinto and me. Today I had the good fortune to find out that there are other people too in the world outside who seem to take an interest in what I have to say. Needless to say (for today at best) I’m motivated enough to at least put up one more post.
Friday, December 8, 2006
Cigarettes
"I like cigarettes. I like to think of fire held in a man's hand. Fire, a dangerous force, tamed at his fingertips. I often wonder about the hours when a man sits alone, watching the smoke of a cigarette, thinking. I wonder what great things have come from such hours.
When a man thinks, there is a spot of fire alive in his mind and it is proper that he should have the burning point of a cigarette as his one expression."
- Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
When a man thinks, there is a spot of fire alive in his mind and it is proper that he should have the burning point of a cigarette as his one expression."
- Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
Of older brothers and younger sisters…
My cousin brother (not much more than a year older than me) happened to be visiting my family yesterday. I love this guy. He’s smart, intelligent, and ambitious, focused, completed his studies and now landed a great job (just bought himself a thunderbird). To add to the list, he’s charming (in a weird sort of way), great talker (translates as good with girls), has his own fan following and knows how to blow his money and have a good time. In short I’m quite proud to be his younger (cousin) sister. Pity is that he is considered quite the odd one out in our “sober” family.
Now as life would have it, I have a younger sister (8 years age difference between us). And having lived with her all her life (16 crazy years), I have always wished I had an older sibling, preferably a brother, who would stand up for me and would pamper me and spoil me. But a day spent with my older cousin sure made me evaluate my ideas.
Brothers have this inherent way of being over protective about their little sisters. I’m not saying that this is wrong, but when you are used to living your own life and making your own decisions, sometimes it gets a little frustrating when you have to deal with others deciding what is the best thing for you and how everything that you are now doing seems like a mistake. Add to this the whole ‘male’ point of view, and you just wish you could clobber him on the head and remind him that life on this planet is not the same for both the sexes. Anyways I still love my bro a lot, but a day I spent with him has made me more thankful for my little sister.
Even though me and my sis are as different as chalk and cheese, and we spend more than 80% of our time together pulling each others hair out and researching new techniques to getting the other into trouble, one thing that stays constant is how much she means to me. My sister is my rock. No matter whether she agrees with the things I do or not, I know that she’ll always be my best friend and my life jacket in the deepest sea. As much as she has her own individual opinions (and some objections) about the way I live my life, she has the understanding to let me live my own life.
Now as life would have it, I have a younger sister (8 years age difference between us). And having lived with her all her life (16 crazy years), I have always wished I had an older sibling, preferably a brother, who would stand up for me and would pamper me and spoil me. But a day spent with my older cousin sure made me evaluate my ideas.
Brothers have this inherent way of being over protective about their little sisters. I’m not saying that this is wrong, but when you are used to living your own life and making your own decisions, sometimes it gets a little frustrating when you have to deal with others deciding what is the best thing for you and how everything that you are now doing seems like a mistake. Add to this the whole ‘male’ point of view, and you just wish you could clobber him on the head and remind him that life on this planet is not the same for both the sexes. Anyways I still love my bro a lot, but a day I spent with him has made me more thankful for my little sister.
Even though me and my sis are as different as chalk and cheese, and we spend more than 80% of our time together pulling each others hair out and researching new techniques to getting the other into trouble, one thing that stays constant is how much she means to me. My sister is my rock. No matter whether she agrees with the things I do or not, I know that she’ll always be my best friend and my life jacket in the deepest sea. As much as she has her own individual opinions (and some objections) about the way I live my life, she has the understanding to let me live my own life.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Dream Jobs
For all you folks who don’t know me, I am a decently intelligent girl who has completed her MSc in Life Sciences (apparently one of the booming fields in India). Following which I went ahead and acquired a 2 yr research experience in my field. I did eventually quit my job to pursue a PhD in the same subject. Since the past 1 year that I have quit my job I have registered myself in Naukri, Monster, TimesJobs and many other such sites in search of a job. These sites generally promise to get you your dream job but all I had asked for is a job Pt/Ft in my field which will let me earn enough, so that I don’t have to run to my parents for my phone and petrol bills. Forget the dream job, the only calls I get are from placement agencies who ask you to pay a fee to register with them (and no guarantees of a job even after that).
The last few days I have been helping a friend of mine to find a job (because he is in desperate need of one). I had expected it to be a tough call as he is still an undergraduate (with 3 yrs experience in the BPO industry). But no sooner had I uploaded his resume, calls start pouring in. He has been on the phone all day giving telephonic interviews and making appointments. (Result – I get abused for making his life so hectic). Anyways, its just been 2 days and the best job he has been offered pays him 22,000 per month (not including incentives and benefits) and he’s still giving interviews with some of the top institutions in India for a better job.
As a consequence, I have spent the last few days re-evaluating the merits of a good educational qualification. How much of a role does your qualification play in getting you a stable career and a good salary? Sadly I don’t seem to be the only one with this plight. I know other well qualified graduates and post graduates who passed college with me working in organizations for an 8,000 – 10,000 per month salary, that is, if they are lucky. Others are as unemployed as me (you should be able to find us on the Graduated and Bekaar community on Orkut). Still thinking about such matters and more. But till then the only thought that resonates in my mind are the words of my friend saying that “Maybe we ARE just overqualified for a Dream Job”.
The last few days I have been helping a friend of mine to find a job (because he is in desperate need of one). I had expected it to be a tough call as he is still an undergraduate (with 3 yrs experience in the BPO industry). But no sooner had I uploaded his resume, calls start pouring in. He has been on the phone all day giving telephonic interviews and making appointments. (Result – I get abused for making his life so hectic). Anyways, its just been 2 days and the best job he has been offered pays him 22,000 per month (not including incentives and benefits) and he’s still giving interviews with some of the top institutions in India for a better job.
As a consequence, I have spent the last few days re-evaluating the merits of a good educational qualification. How much of a role does your qualification play in getting you a stable career and a good salary? Sadly I don’t seem to be the only one with this plight. I know other well qualified graduates and post graduates who passed college with me working in organizations for an 8,000 – 10,000 per month salary, that is, if they are lucky. Others are as unemployed as me (you should be able to find us on the Graduated and Bekaar community on Orkut). Still thinking about such matters and more. But till then the only thought that resonates in my mind are the words of my friend saying that “Maybe we ARE just overqualified for a Dream Job”.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Do YOU believe in GOD?
“Do you believe in God?
No? Neither do I.
But that’s a favorite question of mine. If I asked people if they believed in life, they would never understand what I meant. It’s a bad question. It can mean so much that it really means nothing. So I ask them if they believe in God. And if they say they do – then I know that they don’t believe in life.
Because, you see, God – whatever anyone chooses to call God- is one’s highest conception of the highest possible. And whoever places his highest conception above his own possibility thinks very little of himself and his life. It’s a rare gift to feel reverence for your own life and to want the best, the greatest, the highest possible, here, now, for your very own. To imagine a heaven and then not to dream of it, but to demand it.”
From the book “We the living” by Ayn Rand
No? Neither do I.
But that’s a favorite question of mine. If I asked people if they believed in life, they would never understand what I meant. It’s a bad question. It can mean so much that it really means nothing. So I ask them if they believe in God. And if they say they do – then I know that they don’t believe in life.
Because, you see, God – whatever anyone chooses to call God- is one’s highest conception of the highest possible. And whoever places his highest conception above his own possibility thinks very little of himself and his life. It’s a rare gift to feel reverence for your own life and to want the best, the greatest, the highest possible, here, now, for your very own. To imagine a heaven and then not to dream of it, but to demand it.”
From the book “We the living” by Ayn Rand
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