IT’S TOO HOT – TIME FOR A BREAK

Wallahi it’s just too hot! In the weather. In the pocket. In the fuel queues. In the Chibok remembrance. In the CCT trial. In the purchase of exotic cars. In the matter of corruption fighting back. In nomadic presidency. Kai! It is really hot! Therefore, as we do every so often, we take a break […]

Wallahi it’s just too hot! In the weather. In the pocket. In the fuel queues. In the Chibok remembrance. In the CCT trial. In the purchase of exotic cars. In the matter of corruption fighting back. In nomadic presidency. Kai! It is really hot! Therefore, as we do every so often, we take a break to (de-stress) readers (and the writer himself) in this stressful country of highly stressful leaders and stressful issues.
It may be a good thing that many citizens do not realise – or even know – that they are so stressed, for knowing one’s stress level would only lead to more stress. Today we take a break with some pieces of wisdom being shared on the social media. They may not be true, or even possible. But if they pass my test as de-stressors, I strongly recommend them. Enjoy, and may this country cool down!
ON FACING CHALLENGES (1): It is said that when NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that pens wouldn’t work at zero gravity (as the ink wouldn’t flow down to the writing surface). To solve this problem, it is said, it took NASA one decade of research and $12 million in research expenses. Finally, they were said to have developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on practically any surface including crystal, and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.
But what did the Russians do when faced with a similar challenge? They used a pencil.
ON FACING CHALLENGES (2): It is said that one of the most memorable case studies in Japanese management style was the ‘debacle of the empty soapbox’ that happened in one of Japan’s biggest cosmetics companies. The company, according to the story, received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soapbox that was empty. Immediately, company authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soapbox went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soapboxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. They worked hard and fast to solve the problem, but they spent a huge sum of money to do so.
But when a junior employee in a small company in India was faced with the same problem, he did not get into the complications of X-rays, etc., but came out with another solution; he bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on and as each soapbox passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
NEVER BE QUICK TO JUDGE: A 24-year old young man looking out through a train’s window shouted, “Dad, look, the trees are going behind; they are moving very fast!” The father simply stared at him with so much joy and smiled! A young couple seated nearby looked at the 24-year old and thought to themselves, he’s so grown up but so childish, he must have a mental disorder for his father not to be bothered. Suddenly the young man exclaimed again, “Dad, look, the clouds are running with us!” The couple could not resist this and so said to the old man, “Why don’t you take your son to a good doctor, may be a psychiatrist?” The old man smiled and said, “I just did. We are just coming from a doctor but not a psychiatrist; we are just coming from the hospital. My son was blind from birth. He just got his sight today for the very first time. His behaviour may seem stupid to you; it’s more than a miracle to me. Thank you.”
The young couple just sat down there, lost for words with a mixture of tears and shame in their eyes.
ON HUMAN TOUCH: It is reported: “I had spent an hour in the bank with my Uncle, as he had to transfer some money.  I couldn’t resist myself and asked, ‘’Uncle, why don’t we activate your internet banking?’’ ‘’Why would I do that?’’ He asked. ‘’Well, then you won’t have to spend an hour here for things like transfer. You can even do your shopping online. Everything will be so easy!’’ I was so excited about initiating him into the world of Net banking. He asked, ‘’If I do that, I won’t have to step out of the house?” ‘’Yes, yes!’’ I said. I told him how even grocery can be delivered at the door now, and how Amazon delivers everything! His answer left me tongue-tied. He said ‘’Since I entered this bank today, I have met four of my friends, I have chatted a while with the staff who know me very well by now. This is the company that I need. I like to get ready and come to the bank. I have enough time, it is the physical touch that I crave. Two years back I got sick. The store owner from whom I buy stuff came to see me and sat by my bedside and cried. My wife fell down a few days back while on her morning walk. My local grocer saw her and immediately got his car to rush her home as he knows where I live. Would I have that human touch if everything became online? Why would I want everything delivered to me and force me to interact with just my computer? I like to know the person that I’m dealing with, and not just the ‘seller’. It creates bonds. Relationships. That’s what life is about. Does Amazon deliver all this as well?”
ON SQUEEZING AN ORANGE: As told by the late Dr. Wayne W. Dyer: I was preparing to speak at an “I Can Do It” conference and I decided to bring an orange on stage with me as a prop for my lecture. I opened a conversation with a bright young fellow of about twelve who was sitting in the front row. “If I were to squeeze this orange as hard as I could, what would come out?” I asked him. He looked at me like I was a little crazy and said, “Juice, of course.” “Do you think apple juice could come out of it?” “No!” he laughed. “What about grapefruit juice?” “No!” “What would come out of it?” “Orange juice, of course.” “Why? Why when you squeeze an orange does orange juice come out?” He may have been getting a little exasperated with me at this point. “Well, it’s an orange and that’s what’s inside.” I nodded. “Let’s assume that this orange isn’t an orange, but it’s you. And someone squeezes you, puts pressure on you, says something you don’t like, offends you. And out of you comes anger, hatred, bitterness, fear. Why? The answer, as our young friend has told us, is because that’s what’s inside.”
It’s one of the great lessons of life. What comes out when life squeezes you? When someone hurts or offends you? If anger, pain and fear come out of you, it’s because that’s what’s inside. It doesn’t matter who does the squeezing-your mother, your brother, your children, your boss, the government. If someone says something about you that you don’t like, what comes out of you is what’s inside. And what’s inside is up to you, it’s your choice.
And so, when the fuel queue squeezes you, we shall see what comes out!