Author Archives: maansi

FYRP: Short, Sweet & Current

My laziness phase continues. No doubt about it. (More proof: Use of the obscure acronym FYRP).

You see, I’m a bit (just a bit!) overwhelmed at work. But that’s really no excuse. I still need to write.  Every day!

And to write I need to think.

I seem to have lost the capability to do so.  It’s go, go, go at work.  So at home, my brain wants to shut down badly. Yet, I’ve promised myself I am going to write everyday.

So what do I do?

Well, why not write about some of the most interesting stuff I’ve read this week (I am never too lazy to read, thank goodness)?  Not books this time, but articles. Short and sweet.  (But not all sweet, as you will see).

You never know when I’ll want to re-read these so why not capture them now while they are fresh on my mind? 

These are about as eclectic as they can get , I promise you.  With many thanks to my like-minded friends for providing some of this brain fodder…  

Check them out. They really are worth checking out!

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Stephen King risks wrath of NRA by releasing pro-gun control essay

I’m a fan for life of this man. And I haven’t even read all his books, just (arguably) his best ones – On Writing and 11/22/63 (if you haven’t read this, you’re missing one helluva book and experience!). It’s wonderful to see a writer of his eminence and an avid gun owner to boot step up and be loud and forthright about his support for gun control. After Sandy Hook, it’s unimaginable that anyone could be against it. But, hey, this is America.

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Sorry Apple, the BlackBerry Z10 Is Hotter Than the iPhone

For someone who just switched from a BlackBerry to an iPhone5S, this simply doesn’t seem possible. What a totally different user experience it is! But nothing is greater at seeing innovation unleashed than threat of survival. And have you noticed that those underdogs usually have the motivation needed to take bigger risks?  Best wishes to RIM, for sure because innovation is wonderful. In the end, everyone wins. Well, except maybe Apple.

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Amazing Body20 amazing facts about the human body

If you know even a couple of these facts, I will be surprised.  Amazing?  Hell, yes.

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10 Problems Obama Can SolveThe Second Coming – What can the 44th president really achieve in his second term? Here are 10 ideas.

Foreign Policy magazine’s take on what President Obama can practically accomplish during his second term, the key word being “practical“. They may not be the largest issues that need to be solved but they are critical.  These ten essays contain advice to him from various quarters on how he can resolve these problems – a wide spectrum that covers everything from oil to democracy. 

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India Has A Women ProblemIndia Has a Woman Problem -And there’s no denying it anymore.

After the brutal gang rape in New Delhi, the world’s attention turned to India to figure out if this was an isolated incident or an endemic problem, or somewhere in between. This essay has a clear opinion. India – despite its economic emergence has a conservative and patriarchal social ecosystem and culture that is going to take a LONG time to change. If you believe what this writer has to say (and it’s hard not to), this translates into really bad news for women and worse news for Indians in general. 

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America in ReclineAmerica in Recline – Obama’s foreign policy leans back from the world.

A great article and perspective on Obama’s new foreign policy strategy – leaning back yet focusing with small, specialist teams to go after terrorist groups – and how this benefits America and the world.

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Now, go read these neat, neat articles (or the one or two that interest you) while I get my brain back in shape.  

Actually, that was not so bad for a lazy post, now was it?

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“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

 ― Stephen King

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Wherefore Art Thou, Yoga? I miss you so! :-(

“It is only when the correct practice is followed for a long time, without interruptions and with a quality of positive attitude and eagerness, that it can succeed.” 

― PatanjaliYoga-Sutras

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Okay, so it’s not even a month since I left Mumbai for the US. That’s not so long. Right?

But even so, that is no excuse for the lack of yoga in my daily regimen now.

All that work, that determination, that rigid schedule, that hype over the past two years of living in Indiawhere has it all gone???

Poof! It has vanished into thin air.

My only practice of yoga after my return has been for a mere 3 or 4 mornings- and that only for about 30 minutes or less of “light” yoga.  

I am unable to fathom the real reason for this, what do I call it?…inertia and sheer laziness (yes, let’s just call it out for what it is).

I feel sad and sorry, but those pathetic feelings are not helping me make the move! I am simply not doing anything except thinking about it!

Why? Why? Why???

Was there something about the air in India that made such a difference to my attitude? Or is it America that’s the problem?

“Sloth is the great enemy — the inspirer of cowardice, irresolution, self-pitying grief, and trivial, hairsplitting doubts. Sloth may also be a psychological cause of sickness. It is tempting to relax from our duties, take refuge in ill-health and hide under a nice warm blanket.” 

― Patanjali

Yoga - Inspiration

Okay, that’s more than enough.

I simply have to do something about this sorry rut that I find myself in.  [Help, but I also have a reputation to preserve!] 

I know what I will do. It’s all in the mind anyway, right?

So, I will meditate. Yes, I believe I will meditate in order to bring it all back.

I need it all back – that determination, the eager anticipation of yoga class, the joy of accomplishment and most importantly, the regular “you’re my best student” yoga schedule.

So, here goes.

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Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm….

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Seriously though, I know I have only myself to blame. Trust me, I know that. And I intend to work on it. So wish me luck!

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“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”  

— Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

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P.S. I will let you know in a few weeks whether it worked.

P.P.S. Just in case it didn’t, anyone care to share some of their tips to get it going again?  P L E A S E !

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What do you think - Yoga:

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With many thanks to yoga on facebook for the fun image above. 🙂

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