THINK ‘OUTSIDE OF THE BOX’

There is no problem without a solution.  Many of the problems can be solved thinking logically and doing it step by step. But there are certain problems which cannot be solved logically and they can be solved only by thinking outside of the box.  The story below is used to prove the importance of lateral thinking.   Lateral thinking which is thinking outside the box, requires a lot more creativity.  Lateral thinking is generative, logical thinking is selective.

Many years ago in a small Italian town, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the merchant’s beautiful daughter so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the merchant’s debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.

The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender’s wife and her father’s debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the merchant’s garden.  As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick her pebble from the bag.

What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her? How can you save her from not marrying the ugly money lender and at the same time save her father from jail?

What are the logical answers and what is the answer as per lateral thinking?

You may leave your answers in the comment box or send it to gvkallumpuram@gmail.com

DETERMINATION: THE KEY TO SUCCESS

We live in a success-oriented world and the society praises the people who are 'successes' in life – be it in science, technology, religion, politics, sociology, education or any other field for that matter.  But it is a fact that there are so many fall-outs. The reasons for fall-outs are lack of determination and willingness to chase their dreams. When we look at the people who have succeeded in life in their own ways, we will find that they were people of determination and who were willing to chase their dreams.  In spite of their failures in many attempts they persisted on their attempts and eventually became ‘successes’.  The people behind the so called success stories were ‘failures’ till their success; but in spite of their ‘failure’, they persisted and pressed on.  When we see their success, we tend to forget the pain and toil behind it.

The secret of success is beautifully stated by St. Paul in his letter to Philippians. He says, “ Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  ‘Religion’ was his business and he shares the key for his success. You take any area which you feel like you are ‘called’ and follow the principle of St. Paul: “forget the past” – whether it was a failure or success,  “strain toward what is ahead” – whether you feel it is impossible to achieve and “press on toward the goal” – this is the only way of success.

  

It is read that Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times (the number of attempts is differed – from 1,000 to 10,000 – so let us read it as so many times) before creating the electric bulb.  His response to his repeated failures is important: “I have not failed. I have found those 10,000 ways does not work.” Albert Einstein didn't speak until he was four years old. Many people thought he was just a flop. He never spoke for the first three years of his life; and throughout elementary school, many of his teachers thought he was lazy and wouldn't make anything of himself. He always received good marks, but his head was in the clouds, conjuring up abstract questions people couldn't understand. But he kept thinking and, the result is part of history: he eventually developed the theory of relativity, which many of us still can't comprehend. Bill Gates' first business failed. His first company, Traf-O-Data (a device which could read traffic tapes and process the data), failed miserably. When Gates and his partner, Paul Allen, tried to sell it, the product wouldn't even work. Gates and Allen didn't let that stop them from going on trying. Here is how Allen explained how the failure helped them: “Even though Traf-O-Data wasn't a roaring success, it was seminal in preparing us to make Microsoft’s first product a couple of years later”   

These success stories must encourage us to succeed in work, business and life. The lessons we should learn are:

1.      Rejection should never stop you.

2.    Failure is not a problem at all.

3.    People who reject you know nothing.

4.    ‘Belief in yourself’ is the key to success in life.

AFTER LIFE, WHAT?

Following is a beautiful story in Malayalam, written by an author unknown. Since it is worth sharing, I translated it to English.

Two children in the womb of the mother started a conversation.

 The first one asked the other, “Do you believe that there is a life after delivery?”

The second one answered, “There should be continuity after this state. So I believe that there is a life after the delivery. May be, the changes that come in us is a preparation for the new life to come.”

“Foolishness!” quipped the first, “there is no life after the delivery. Even if there is, how shall it be?” The second one answered, “I don’t know how it shall be.  May be, it shall be more bright and we may be able to walk with our feet, eat with our mouth and shall be able to use all the parts of the body fully.”

“Mere stupidity! How is it possible to walk with our feet? How can we eat with our mouth? Are we not getting enough nutrients and vitamins through the umbilical cord? But its length is too short and we cannot move freely.  If we think logically, it is impossible to have a life after birth.”

The second one said, “I feel that the circumstance there shall be different from what we are having now. The umbilical cord itself may not be needed to live outside the womb.”

“Never!” the first one continued the argument, “may I ask you – let us assume that there is a life after this – then why no one returns? Birth is the end of everything. After that it shall be darkness, silence and frozenness! Nothing and nothing else.”

“I don’t know,” the second one said, “but I am sure that we shall see our mother and she shall protect us.”

The first one commented, “Mother? Do you really believe in mother? I feel like laughing when I think of your stupidity.  If mother is a reality, where is she now?”

“We are surrounded by her.” said the second, “We are part of her and we live in her.  If she is not there, our world also would not have been here.”

“But I can’t see the mother.  My reasoning does not permit me to believe what I cannot see,” said the first to which the second one replied, “at times, when we are silent and concentrate, we can feel her presence and hear her call us from the above.”

BE FAITHFUL TO YOUR COMMITMENT

At the time of adversities and troubles we commit our lives and belongings to God.  But, once it is fulfilled, we find ways to escape from the commitment made- we either tend to ignore it or justify our avoidance.

A ship was caught up in a storm in the sea. All were panicked and they started praying intensely. There was a wealthy man among them and he also prayed loud:   "If you save us today Lord, I shall sell my property and distribute the proceeds to the poor."  After a few minutes the storm stopped.  He regretted about his commitment. Since everyone in the ship has heard, he could not go back from his promise.   He published that he is going to sell the property.  He tied a cat in front of the house and priced it to be 10 million rupees and priced the property to be Re.10.  There was one condition that both shall be sold together only.   It was sold as per his instruction because both together it was worth it. The rich man pocketed Rs. 10 million and distributed ten rupee to the poor.  Thus he kept the commitment.

Are we different when we make a commitment to God? Are we willing to keep our commitment or find ways of by-passing it?

"Kulakke moola kodali kaavu"

കുലയ്കേ മൂല കൊടലി കാവു is a saying in Kannada which means, "the wooden handle of an axe kills its own race." 

Immense are the possibilities of technology, but many of the things invented are used for the destruction of the living and non-living beings directly or indirectly. We are least bothered about what happens to others when we apply something – be it the chemical fertilizers for farming or atomic weapons used for wars.

There is a story about the human predicament.  Four princes went in search of some special science that shall help the humans to have a better life.  They went round the world and each one learned a special art. The first one, learned to assemble the born of any dead animal together; the second one learned to put flesh on the skeleton and the third one to put the skin and hair to the skeleton.  The fourth one learned the art of giving life to a dead body.  They went around, found a skeleton; the first one put it together, the second one put flesh to it and the third one its skin and the fourth one gave life.  But the sad fate was that it was that of a lion.  I do not have to tell the predicament of the four people in front of a lion.

There is another story - about a demon called Bhasmasura in Hindu mythology.  He gets the boon from Lord Shiva that whatever he touches should be reduced to ashes.  But as soon as he received it, he wanted to test it on Lord Shiva himself.  Shiva took to his heels.  Lord Vishnu appears in the form of a beautiful woman, Mohini, and distracts his attention from Lord Shiva.  He wanted to marry her.  She puts one condition that he should dance with her and do whatever she does. He agrees and she dances many postures and finally makes him touch his own head with his hand.  He was reduced to ashes. 

Modern technology seems to be like the burning power of hands granted to that demon.  If he turns out to be negligent even for the slightest moment, it may lead to the ruin of the world or self-destruction! 

The greatest enemy of humankind is humans themselves.

BE HONEST

Honesty and integrity are values that are very rare these days.  “Excel no matter how” is what is projected now. ‘Being honest’ is only when it brings gain in your life is what is intentionally or unintentionally taught even in Schools. It is a known fact that many Schools (especially the well reputed ones) encourage their students to use unethical means to be achievers so that their ‘name’ can be kept high. In a world of cut-throat competition, honesty and integrity has no place – ‘succeed’, ‘achieve’ ‘win’ etc. are the watch words of the present. We have to bear in mind that a dishonest world cannot stay for long.

Once a general manager wanted to test his people about their values of life.  He announced that in their seminar folder, there is PVC pouch and in it there is a seed. When they return, they must put it in good soil in a pot and look after it very well.

He would hold a competition in the next year's seminar and that the best plants would be awarded suitably.  Everyone did what was told to him. A year passed quickly. And next year in a big hall, there were hundreds of pots and a great variety of plants - a great scene.

Except one pot in which the soil was there and no plant! The owner was standing quietly and seemingly ashamed of himself!

The general manager called him on the stage. He asked him what happened and he told him the truth. He planted the seed which he was given – and did that was to be done- but nothing happened!

The general manager declared him the winner!

Everyone was shocked. It was announced, "Gentlemen! The seeds I gave you were boiled seeds. You planted them and nothing happened! You acted smartly and used some other seeds.

This man was honest to his work and, therefore he did not cheat me or himself!"

Please remember that when you are dishonest, you are cheating yourself.  When you cheat yourself, you are disintegrating your personality.  The end result is you become the ultimate loser. 

MONEY IS YOURS BUT THE RESOURCES ARE NOT

The affluent in the so called poor countries are not at all guilty about wasting their resources; moreover, they consider it their right to do so because they pay for it.  As a priest, I go to receptions hosted by the Church and the individuals, where  I am disturbed to see that so much food is wasted – the guests pile-up all the food stuff into their plates and throw it off after consumption of not even a quarter of what is taken.   A Tweet by Chetan Bhagat has prompted me to write this post.  I quote it verbatim:

Germany is a highly industrialized country.  In such a country, many will think its people lead a luxurious life.

When we arrived at Hamburg, my colleagues walked into the restaurant, we noticed that a lot of tables were empty.  There was a table where a young couple was having their meal.  There were only two dishes and two cans of beer on their table.  I wondered if such simple meal could be romantic, and whether the girl will leave this stingy guy.

There were a few ladies on another table.  When a dish is served, the waiter would distribute the food for them, and they would finish every bit of the food on their plates.

As we were hungry, our local colleague ordered more food for us.  When we left, there was still about one third of un-consumed food on the table. 

When we were leaving the restaurant, the old ladies spoke to us in English, we understood that they were unhappy about us wasting so much of food.

“We paid for our food, it is none of your business how much food we left behind,” my colleague told the old ladies.  The old ladies were furious.  One of them immediately took her hand phone out and made a call to someone.  After a while, a man in uniform from Social Security organization arrived.  Upon knowing what the dispute was, he issued us a 50 Euro fine.  We all kept quiet.

The officer told us in a stern voice, “ORDER WHAT YOU CAN CONSUME. MONEY IS YOURS BUT THE RESOURCES BELONG TO THE SOCIETY.  THERE ARE MANY OTHERS IN THE WORLD WHO ARE FACING SHORTAGE OF RESOURCES.  YOU HAVE NO REASON TO WASTE RESOURCES.

The mindset of the people of this rich country must put all of us to shame.  We are to be aware that we belong to a country which is not very rich in resources and many live in abject poverty.  To show off, we order large quantity and also waste food when we give others a treat. Recently while I was in a dinner, a person sitting near me felt ‘ashamed’ that my plate was empty after which he commented, “Can’t you leave something in the plate so that others will not think of you as deprived.”  There is a saying in Malayalam “undaal paathrathil irikkanam” which means there should be some left over so that your host will come to know you have been given more than enough.  My interpretation to the above is that your plate should be so clean that you can sit on the plate. Let us be affirmed: MONEY IS YOURS BUT THE RESOURCES BELONG TO THE SOCIETY.