Overworked and Underpaid

Most of the time I talk to my colleagues, friends and other working population, One thing seems common; everyone by his/her own admission is overworked and underpaid. Well I too share the feeling and hence it becomes a common cord which helps us empathize.

Come to think of it, if everyone is overworked and if everyone is underpaid, it would be doing wonders for our economy. Imagine working 20 hrs a day for paltry sum, this would for sure create a huge amount of societal wealth and rid us of poverty.

Alas! That’s what I don’t see happening around. Where are things going wrong then? Well my friends, the things are going wrong in the brain and in the heart. Overwork and Underpay is just a facade.  There is no such thing in real. In fact it’s a vicious circle.

We always think that if we get more money, we will work harder. Hence most of us keep on changing jobs. But once that pay cheque becomes static too, we start feeling underpaid. The pay cheque remains the same, the work hours remain the same; just that our needs and wishes increase.

The easiest solution for this is become dynamic. Even if the work hours increase, if the rewards are dynamic too, the underpaid feeling will not pitch in. I am not just talking of monetary rewards. It constitutes mental peace and satisfaction too. Most of us who feel over and under are stuck with something we don’t really get drive from. It’s just a daily chore we need to perform.

After a while when our heart is not in it, it becomes unbearable. Whatever amount of money will not satisfy us. There will be a shallow feeling of being used and abused. Used and abused by the society and the system at large.

So work where your heart is. Short term you may earn some money elsewhere but believe me no point making your life a hell in the long run. Instead, you my friend have hell of a life to enjoy!

I can hear it, true

Sleep seems not in sight,
Rest, reads a word too tight,
Run away, sounds a whisper,
I can hear it, true.

So much happening around,
Things on verge of out’o’bound,
Like something gotta go,
I can sense it, true.

Impatience, anxiety, restlessness,
Trying to clear out the mess,
Mess about to turn messier,
I can feel it, true.

Everything was in my hands,
Somehow all slipped away,
I held my fist quite tight,
It couldn’t be tighter, true.

Grappiling in shallow waters,
Can anytime drown in now,
Try hard to hold on to some,
It’s nothing but air, true.

Mountain high, Low of abyss,
Swinging to and fro hard,
About to snap anytime now,
I can’t pause it, true.

However you may shake me,
I hang in there, a strong will,
Will fight hard, try comeback,
I can commit it, true.

Simply Insane

The last time I went for a long holiday was long-long ago. To be true, I am not a holiday kind of a person in the normal sense. For me holidays do not mean going on vacation, living out of suitcase, hopping from one tourist location to another. For me holidays are all about chillaxing. There have been times when I have taken couple of days off and slept right through. For me it’s all about brain reboot.

After a long time, I seem to have this craving to put myself to sleep mode. The late mornings, the lethargic afternoons, popcorns, refreshing old seasons of fav shows, lots of writing. And the best of all, lying on the bed, just staring up to the ceiling fan. The feeling of nothing. The absolute zero of chaos. Admittedly juvenile, but my secret to rejuvenation.

There is no single way to handle the worries of life. Some takes them head on, some run away from them. I practice a mix of both. Running away for a while eggs me to take them on. Sometimes the cure is not with the medicines but without them.

I have had some crazy hours to my name. 75hrs without sleep, 32hrs of nonstop sleep, 76hrs without eating. All these date back to the college days. I don’t have luxury to insanity no more. But believe me, it’s the insanity that takes to where we aspire, makes us who we want to. I will be travelling this weekend but I have promised myself some not as insane rest soon.

लहू का सागर बहने दे

सुबह की पहली किरन,
होती कितनी कपटी है,
सारी दुनिया की बुद्धि,
उस एक ऊँगली में लिपटी है|

एक कश लगा जोर का तू,
छल्लों को फिर उड़ते देख,
सागर की गहराई में भी,
गहराई का वो आलम कहाँ|

सिक्का जो है खोटा वो,
उठा के उसको फेंकें सब,
तुझको तो मैं तब मानूं,
उस सिक्के को चमकाए जब|

हैं दुनिया में कितने इश्वर,
राम रहीम येशु भर भर,
करेगा क्या तू इश्वर चुन,
अपना एक नया ही इश्वर बुन|

रातों को जब सन्नाटा है,
चीर उसे जो पाता है,
उसे ही पूछा जाता है,
नहीं तो दूजा खाता है|

आग को थोड़ा दे और हवा,
थोड़ा तो संयम को कम कर,
उठा हाथ में एक पत्थर,
और हो जाने दे शीशा चूर,

युग नया कभी ना आता है,
तिल तिल के बनाया जाता है,
तिल तिल के अब मरना छोड़,
हवा के रुख को अब तू मोड़|

होली रंगों से कब तक,
क्या ऐसे क्रांति आएगी?
लगा तिलक तू माथे पर,
औ लहू का सागर बहने दे||

iPhone 5: A mystic affair

The hype and frenzy every time a new iPhone is launched, seem to be a mystic affair. The zeal surpasses the age groups, the income groups and the continents. What is it that creates this craziness? Is it the new technology? Is it the media built-up? Is it the status symbol?

To a large extent it can be attributed to the herd mentality. “I want it coz if I don’t I won’t be cool”. But that herd comes in later. What drives the early buyers? And it’s not just limited to the buyers. Even the people who can’t afford it are ever more interested. Why so?

We can try and find an analogy in “Who wants to be a millionaire” TV show. What has the TV viewers got to win? Nothing! Still millions sit in front of their TV sets to witness someone else becoming millionaire.

The answer lies in human psychology of “Collective Ownership”. When a new iPhone is launched, it’s not Apple who owns it. The people own it. It is their own. And here is where publicity comes in. Company like Apple would never publicize it as a product by Apple rather it would be an “Apple iPhone”.

Another thing can be the story behind the invention. Would gravity be equally amazing without the back story of the apple that fell? The mysticism surrounding Jobs has flown down to his coveted baby. Do we hear any such story behind say Lumia or Galaxy? No, all we see is a product. But with iPhone it’s much more.

The other reason lies in the legacy. People loved iPhone coz of the technological advancements Jobs envisaged and brought to life. Similar was the case with a 4.8inch android phone recently. It was something novel. People thronged for it. Give the people something innovative and having high standards and they will make you a billionaire.

It won’t be long when people will ditch iPhone. Yes, we are that cruel. We are just waiting for the next messiah. Till then revel Apple in the limelight, as much as you can.

Scared Humans

We humans are such afraid beings. We are afraid of sun, we are afraid of moon, we are afraid of rain, we are afraid of pain. In fact, one does not come to know how scared one is without experiencing it firsthand.

Last month I was facing acute pain in my right eye, right side of nose and right side in the mouth. I keep ignoring it as usual and allaying myself with pain killers. The regular excuses of “No time” and “It will be alright”.

One fine day, I was having lunch with a colleague of mine. I shared about this pain. He looked at me and bam, “Dude, you might have Bell’s Palsy”. I couldn’t properly understand the word at first. Quizzically, I looked towards him. He took out his cell phone and googled and explained it to me. It’s facial paralysis. He went on and on and one.

With his each passing explanation, I began to shudder. How long has the pain been? Is it only on one side or the whole face? Can you pinch your cheek to see if you feel anything? I was white with fear. All my excuses and machoness took a hike. I immediately called up the hospital nearby and took and appointment with a dentist and an ophthalmologist.

Fortunately it was just dryness in the eye, sore nose and sensitivity in the teeth. All three separate problems pounding at once causing a smokescreen of terror.

Anyway, the point is humans can be scared the easiest because we let our psyche get attached.

गया काम से तू

लबों की वो लाली,
पल पल की गाली,
चढ़ती मदहोशी साली,
गया काम से तू|

थी जुराबें गुलाबी,
छंछंनाती पाजेबें,
मोरनी से हैं पंजे,
गया काम से तू|

मटकती सी आँखें,
दिल में हैं झांकें,
हैं नश्तर चलाती,
गया काम से तू|

उलझी सी जुल्फें,
कि थोड़ी तो सुल्झा,
लगाती हैं फांसी
गया काम से तू|

इधर तिल उधर तिल,
थकता ना गिन गिन,
हैं नजरें चुराते,
गया काम से तू|

मजबूर है दिल,
बड़ा है ये कातिल,
जबसे उसे मिल
गया काम से तू||

Some Vintage Days

Some vintage days, gone are they

Some vintage memories, left

Ups and Downs, gave they to us,

Heavy and Light talks abuzz

Those lengthy evenings, graphs and charts

Those bickering, arguments tarts

Whatever you told, I often repulsed

But the words come back to me

You said it from your experience

I could not grasp much then

They hit me now, like wine of old

All said and done, memories built,

Will meet, paths will cross again,

Some vintage days, gone are they

Some vintage memories, left.