Yawn....I have got to do this. So with great difficulty, I have dragged my feet to my desk, listlessly hunted for paper and pen to write down my thoughts on ....ummm....laziness. I am taking the trouble to write on 'laziness' because I believe that a lazy person is the most competent one to write on the topic. Well, here goes... “Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.” – Jules Renard As I start writing, I who had begun with a half-reclining position am now sitting straight, my writing has become more brisk, my words more legible, and thoughts are running even ahead of my writing. So I have learnt something even before finishing penning down my thoughts - When you feel you are a bundle of lazy bones, push yourself somehow to start the work at hand. The interest, mood and energy to do it will pick up in the course of the work. The reason for 'laziness' is to pop up as a subject? A team of doctors of Imperial College and University College, both in London want to classify 'physical inactivity' as a disease. When I read this, I panicked for a moment. It is bad enough that I am lazy, now I may have to bear the stigma of being diseased! Jokes apart, I feel that the doctors are right in their demand. They have put forth that obesity has already been classified as a disease by the World Health Organisation. And obesity is partially the result of laziness, laziness to exercise. "Money is pumped at treating the symptoms of physical inactivity - at obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease - but not at the root cause," is what the British doctor Richard Weiler has to say. We all exhibit some signs of sloth everyday- laziness to walk, work, exercise, … [Read more...]
Smiles and Laughter-Magic Potions
“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” – Lord Byron. I have some vague memories of childhood when I was asked not to show my teeth while smiling and not to laugh out loud (remember, you are a girl!). The stubborn streak in me ensured that I continued to do things my way. But I did and still continue to wonder why people feel that smiling or laughing wholeheartedly is not the done thing. Why should one try to restrict one’s smile or try to soften one’s laughter? Were we – Indians, I mean – always like this or did we adopt the “stiff upper lip” attitude of our erstwhile rulers, the British? Laughter is considered the best medicine – preventive as well as curative. Smiling relaxes our facial muscles. When we are happy and laugh, “feel good chemicals” like endorphins and serotonin are released .That is the reason a bout of laughter improves our mood considerably. Just like exercise, laughter is supposedly very beneficial for the heart and we should consciously look for reasons to laugh at just like we try to exert ourselves physically to stay healthy. People even form laughter clubs where they assemble in a park or some such place and laugh their hearts out. Today, there is laughter therapy, laughter yoga, laughter meditation which indicates that people are getting increasingly aware of the advantages of a good laugh. Laughing at a funny incident is all right, so is laughing at oneself – when one can have a ‘no holds barred’ laugh. Where one has to draw the line is when one is laughing at another, making somebody a butt of your jokes. The person may be somebody close to you, you may think that the person will not mind but we have to remember that everybody is … [Read more...]
Friendship – A beautiful bond
It was the United States which started the tradition of ‘Friendship Day’ in 1935. The first Sunday of August every year was assigned to friendship. Other countries too followed suit and in India, we usually see school kids and college students happily celebrating this day. Friendship bands are a rage in India and even school kids sit patiently with skeins of wool of different hues, patiently weaving bands of friendship. The ones who have a large number of bands tied to their wrists strut about, proud to have so many friends. Well, let us leave the ritual aside and move on to that beautiful bond called friendship. One’s tryst with friendship starts usually at school in fact as early as the nursery classes. Like first love, the first friend is also remembered long after the friendship has run its course. “A friend in need is a friend indeed,” is perhaps the most clichéd quote on friendship and also perhaps the most accurate. Friendships are not just about having a gala time. When all is well, all your friends are there for you. The litmus test starts when you start going through bad times. The ‘fair-weather’ friends flee when conditions turns inclement. The “all-weather” types are your true pals. They may be unable to help you in the material sense but they are there to offer moral and emotional support. A wealthy person loses his wealth, a business man runs a loss, a star student loses out on his grades, an employee loses his job – these are the occasions when many friends start deserting you. Even we may belong to this breed of friends, deserters in need. We expect the world from our buddies, but when our turn comes, we are reluctant to even be there for them. Moving on … [Read more...]
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