Survive The New Year

It is usually very difficult to write an article like this. A year is such a long time, an amalgamation of so many events that it becomes almost impossible to sum it up in finite words. Yet 2012 was different, according to me, this was the year of solutions. Our mentalities were such, that even when accosting problems of the mightiest kinds, we searched for a logical solution rather than cribbing over our miseries. You may wonder that this happens every year, but in 2012 all of us were on a quest to deliver solutions. It is this quest combined with the puerile instincts of some that may have led to “emotional decisions” of many, in much of these cases. Yet, the common factor in most consequential events in 2012 was to culminate the problems to solutions.

Tragic stuff happened year round. The tremors of the recent demise of Damini, the Delhi brave heart has rocked the Indian government too. May these instances remind us of the evil in man’s heart. Speaking of solutions, I believe it is important to prioritize anything if you want to solve it. To be a better human, you must first understand the flaws in you. Idolizing or adulating human greats like Swami Vivekananda, Mother Teresa, Sant Tukaram, The Dalai Lama and the rest may not be a foolproof plan to better you. As my understanding suggests, it is first important to realize the faults in you, the characteristics you wish to develop further. I am no one to comment on what is right or wrong, good or bad, I trust that to the reader’s discretion. But in my opinion, if you can justify your actions to anyone, understand and are willing to face the consequences to it, you are right.

It’s all an energy, the good the bad and even the ugly. Saints know how to metamorphosise them to better energies, hence it is said that they can win over anger. In my humble opinion, they convert it to a better emotion, hence using the energy. I assume most of the people who read this will not be saints, but how then do we tackle the negative (our subjective version of what that is)? My answer to that is to act like a CEO. A CEO knows how to optimize the results of his company, he puts even the non-performing assets to the best use and if need be, chucks them off the balance sheet. Negative emotions are not all that bad; we just must know how to use it. I like anger, especially when I can justify it. The subsequent step is to direct that anger to a particular thing I hate. Hate it so much that you never do that yourself. This is how you direct energies to better directions, efficient solutions.

Here’s a weird thing about solutions in 2012, we did tackle them but it was evident in most cases that we were not ready for them. Anticipating things are easy, incorporating that to your plan is the trickier part. When heading an organization (even family for that matter), it’s easy to anticipate the problems you may face, it’s time we prepare our systems to defend us beforehand. Take this case in Pune, (it’s many months’ old) when a 5 year old girl was attacked by a pack of stray dogs. She was heavily injured, but the newspapers apparently did not consider it important to post another article about her health. Regardless, the municipal authorities vowed to take care of the stray dog menace. Yesterday while taking my dog for a walk, when some stray dogs were on the verge of attacking us, I realized that the situation still hasn’t changed. But we can do it. Why do we need a Damini to die to rise up as a force against women’s atrocities? Why must some crime happen, a person lose his life, or a family be obliterated, lives destroyed before we can act? I don’t intend this anomalously lengthened article to take a social turn. I only intend to point out the fact that it’s easy to spot problems (as Indians, it is more than easy for us to do that) we just need to work towards solutions before the problem materializes.

That is where creativity comes in. Creative approach towards your business, administration, law, politics any goddamn thing you do. Creativity is not different, it is better. If it is different but not better, it becomes a redundant effort. Facebook was not very different to Orkut in the beginning, yet it was better. (When was the last time you logged onto Orkut? ;)) As entrepreneurs, it your one’s “Dharma” (Religious following of duty) to be creative, anticipate problems early, find solutions to it and make money.

I read a troll this morning, in which a friend wishes the other a “Happy New Year.” The other remarks that the year ahead may not be happy per say, it’s bound to be a mixed bag including sadness as well. After a moment of awkward silence, they both agreed that they must “Survive the new year.” A better way of looking at it I must say. To survive means to solve. If you solve whatever life throws at you, if you are prepared for most adversaries of the day, I believe you’ve become a better man. Maybe that’s what living is all about, bettering yourself with each passing moment.

Survive this New Year people!

Be all that you can be! (PS- I don’t wish to endorse the US Army here. Have a great day!)