Factfulness - develop fact based world view

Fact based worldview has been put forth in the excellent book by Hans rosling - Factfulness. It changes the perceptions about current world scenario and you actually feel good about living in better world. Though all is not well, data analysis surely tells positive stories. 

Factfulness by Hans is the last book written by him before getting nature's call to rest in peace. Surely he must be in peace after doing wonderful work for so many years.

Factfulness puts a valid point to stop discrimination between nations as developed and developing countries. Neither everyone in developing countries is poor nor everyone in developed countries rich. In fact world population has been divided into four levels L1 to L4.  Percentage of extremely poor people is very less now. Most of the world population live among L2 and L3 levels. So dire pverty percentage is very less. As more opportunities of economic development opened up people are able to earn living easily. 

One of the most characteristic of Hans writing has been inclusion of real life incidences. Hans met president of Mozambique to discuss about his country's progress. The president gives him an interesting perspective, "I do not merely look at data to check progress. I also observe people to check how well they are doing. We have an annual festival in which all the people come on the roads to participate in March. I look at how many people are without shoes and what kind of shoes they are wearing. I am glad that over the years people are wearing good shoes. Number of people without shoes is getting less. That's the indication of less of dire poverty. "

Factfulness tells the connection between Population growth and women empowerment. As more women gain the power of education, they become decisive in family matters. Educated woman unlikely goes beyond two or three child births. Even in Muslim countries population growth can be retarded as women get education and power.

Environment degradation, climate change are surely real threats.  Surely there are negatives in the world, but world is getting better. More and more people are getting connected. Technology gets spread to the other side of the World pretty quickly. 

Facts can be misinterpreted with data analysis. Hence Hans suggest that data shouldn't be looked at in isolation, but it should be looked at with other changing variables. Then we get clear picture. 

Surely there are negatives in the world, but positives are no less. In this coronavirus crisis, the Nation's economic growth is getting hampered. Millions of people will again be pushed towards the bottom of the pyramid. But things will get better eventually. It always does... 

At last, 

Do take a look at Factfulness : develop fact based world view.

Ikigai - Reason to get up in the morning

Ikigai is our reason to get up in the morning. The concept of time vanishes as we perform our ikigai. 

Ikigai - to immerse oneself into the things which we love…

Ikigai - to stay active physically and mentally while being involved thoroughly…

Ikigai -the reason not to get a retirement throughout life…

Ikigai - to like, love something beyond limit…

I loved this concept of ikigai...Mostly I refrain from Reading self-help books. Simply because whichever ways the author suggests to improve ourselves, I fail to implement the said underlying principles. When two of my friends recommended the book, I made up the mind to have a look. And well it turned out a great book!

Principles of ikigai are not very difficult to follow. The book teaches us quite opposite ways of living Modern Life. The principles of modern life management have been tossed. And all ideas about living life have been discarded. Ambitions, hurry, multitasking has no place in it. It is just a simple way of living life being immersed in oneself.

“Modern life estranges us more and more from our true nature, making it very easy for us to lead a life lacking in meaning. Powerful forces and incentives (money, power, attention, success) distract us on a daily basis; don’t let them take over your life.”

I am quite an impatient person. I like to hurry up, finish things quickly. If something doesn't work, I hop over other things quickly. Ikigai taught me a lesson, hurry is bad for health. It creates unnecessary stress. You should surely perform your tasks quickly, but with a calm mind and focus. Not eyeing on the outcomes but being involved in the FLOW is important.

In life, be like flowing water and never stagnate in life.  When we are in flow time stands still. We do not look at the watch but we take utmost pleasure in the process. We should surely set goals. But enjoy the process instead of freaking about outcomes. I am always too obsessed about outcomes. That's why I have hopped over from one thing to another for too many times. But Ikigai has given me a ground to do the things which I love. It emphasizes the importance of routine. Sticking to a routine, carrying out the same things, but still enjoying the process, the flow!

One can have more than one ikigai. I feel I have many Ikigais. To choose between one and another is difficult, but I would keep exploring. I'm working on a mathematics project professionally. On day to day basis, I love cooking, writing, making animated videos, etc. I also like painting/sketching. There are too many things on the plate and choosing just one is difficult. Ikigai wants us to have a clear objective. Focus on a single task and avoid multitasking. So, I just need to keep exploring. As of now, I am having a great time with what I am doing. I do not feel lazy, do not get bored. (There is no time to get bored). But a single ikigai is missing!

“Art, in all its forms, is an ikigai that can bring happiness and purpose to our days. Enjoying or creating beauty is free, and something all human beings have access to.”

I am mentally active most of the time. I just need to be physically more active. Ikigai has objections to strenuous physical activity. It teaches us to do moderate exercise daily. It also describes the amazing physical exercises from the East given to the world like radio taiso, yoga, tai chi, qigong, etc. It underlines the importance of Play daily to add cheerfulness. It says this is the secret of longevity.

It also has an opinion on food intake which I am following for many years i.e eat less; eat up to 80% of your stomach capacity.  Never fill your stomach fully. Increase the portion of fruits and vegetables in the diet. Eat less sugar (Very Difficult ☹). Eat a variety of food as much as possible. Japanese eat 206 types of dishes frequently. Well, Indian (vegetarian) recipes must be much more than that. But we need to include the healthy ones.

Ikigai also describes the concept of Moai - being connected to life around, nature, and other fellow human beings. Being thankful for nature and other people around gives us enormous strength and keeps us rooted to the ground. So, give thanks to the ancestors, nature, friends and family, and God. This emphasizes the need for daily prayer. Surrounding oneself with good friends, smiling, laughing gives freshness to life and makes one want to live longer.

Ultimately living in the present moment, to not look for regrettable past and enjoy the life pursuing the passion which gives utmost joy. Surely Ikigai has underlined valuable principles. Only thing is to follow it religiously no matter what comes in between.

“Life is pure imperfection, as the philosophy of wabi-sabi teaches us, and the passage of time shows us that everything is fleeting, but if you have a clear sense of your ikigai, each moment will hold so many possibilities that it will seem almost like an eternity.”

Read the book Ikigai...

Search for your ikigai...

Follow your own Ikigai - the reason to get up in the morning!

'I too had a dream' - Must read for every Indian

Recently,one of my friends' referred me a book- 'I too had a dream ' written by father of White Revolution, Dr. Verghese Kurien. I would say it is a must read for every Indian. It is a moving story of how  Amul was established as number one brand in the milk industry. Dr. Kurien also narrated his life story through it.

He saw a dream of making India self-sufficient in milk production by organizing Cooperative Movement around the country. In spite of India being an agrarian country, our farmers were (and are) very poor. Giving power into the hands of farmers to run the Cooperative movement, Dr Kurien wanted to bring out true social change. He faced many challenges during this journey. 

It took him an entire lifetime to realize and live his dream. We need many more doctor Kurien for sustainable development of Agriculture and Animal husbandry in India. He was extremely hard-working, dedicated to a larger cause and looked  forwarded to the upliftment of farmers. Freedom fighter Tribhuvan Das Patel, his Guru, groomed him to take up larger responsibilities, saw a huge potential in him and worked with him extensively to develop Amul. 

We adore Amul, be it an ice cream, cheese, butter or thanda masti.. So reading this fascinating tale gives an immense joy. Dr Kurien shares his thoughts insights, feelings and speaks brutally honest. 

India has a lot of potential but corrupt bureaucracy, incompetent leaders has made a mess. One person with strong ethics, extreme dedication tried to change things around. He saw a dream which became his life goal. Commitment to noble cause gave him inner satisfaction and also brought  outer accolades as well. He definitely lived a life to look up to. All-in-all, 'I too had a dream' is definitely a good read, a must-read for youngsters and an inspiring read for social entrepreneurs who are trying to bring about social change. Every Indian who is fond of Amul products should also read this book.

 I too had a dream. - Few quotes

“Life is a privilege and to waste it would be wrong. In living this privileged “Life”, you must accept responsibility for yourself, always use your talents to the best of your ability and contribute somehow to the common good.”

“…. If we are brave enough to love, strong enough to rejoice in another’s happiness and wise enough to know that there is enough to go around for all, then we would have lived our lives to the fullest.”

“In every crisis, if you look carefully, you will spot an opportunity. My insistence on finding and seizing that opportunity has often been a source of annoyance for many of my colleagues because it means that unlike most people, I never try to sidestep a crisis. Rather, the more monstrous the crisis, the more I am tempted to rush at it, grasp it by the horns and manoeuvre it until it gives me what I want!”

"I also believe that a person who does not have respect for time, and does not have a sense of timing, can achieve little.”

“My attitude towards money has always been a very realistic and utilitarian one. …. it is terrible to have too little money because you will not even have enough to eat and appease your hunger. But it is far, far worse to have too much money because then you will surely get corrupt.”

Bill Bryson - A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson 

A witty travel writer who wrote on many subjects through his book - 'A Short History of Nearly Everything'. He just made me realize I know and understand science more than I feel I do. Though Bill Bryson has written many travelogues, 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' is a very different book. Must read for any Science Lover!

How did I meet Bill Bryson?

They say you meet a writer through his books. I was wandering in a huge city library wondering what to read next.  After reading for many years. you may become clueless about what you like to read. In an era of Whatsapp University and Facebook college, you keep books aside and kill your time. So, it takes courage to keep your reading habit intact!

So, I was browsing in the library when accidentally a book came in my hand. Its title amused me- 'A Short History of Nearly Everything'. It is a big book. Normally I am reluctant to read big books as I do not have the patience to reach the end. I flipped through the pages. I found it interesting. And literally, I was hooked to read till the end! 

'A Short History of Nearly Everything' 

'A Short History of Nearly Everything' is a non - fiction and an interesting account of how different branches of science got evolved. Astronomy, Geology, Physics, Chemistry, Biology - history of most of the science branches combined into one book.  A must-read for college students. Definitely, you need some understanding of scientific terminology. But even if you don't, it doesn't make any difference. It is the story of 'Science' evolution on Earth.

Bill Bryson has mostly written non-fiction. He writes with exquisite humor. He writes with thorough research. After reading his first book, I got another book which is a travelogue. 'Neither here nor there - Travels in Europe'.  Bill Bryson has traveled around the world with a quest to understand the world we live in. He jots his traveling experiences in a funny manner. ' Neither here nor there' is a very good travelogue in which the writer goes on a tour of Europe starting from Northern Lights quest in Norway and ends in Istanbul, Europe. Definitely a good read! Hoping to read many more of Bill Bryson's books.

If you are wondering what to read during lockdown due to coronavirus, do check out - Bill Bryson's - 'A Short History of Nearly Everything'.

To end this short book review - a wisdom quote by Bill Bryson-

"We used to build civilizations. Now we build shopping malls."