From my heart to yours:

The Rice & Salt story (You matter)

As a new decade beckons, let us join hands to usher it in with hope in our hearts, a spring in our step and optimism within !

As always, I’m extremely happy and excited to pen my thoughts while  welcoming friends and well wishers into an exciting new year filled with the promise of greater and bigger  things to come.  I’m sure 2020 augurs well for the future and I have no doubt whatsoever that this time tested communication  platform will help all of us  connect with, and truly understand, each other . Our effort should always be to reach out to one and all with new ideas and novel techniques that use modern day methods and tools, while never losing sight of the fact that the  human touch will forever be in vogue as the dominant  form of communication.

In this ever shrinking world of mass communication and instant messaging, no matter how pervasive  electronic media becomes, there will always be room for the human touch for all of us to reach out and extend a helping hand to make the world a better place. 

Even in this day and age, a phone call can never be replaced with an emoji and a visit will always draw a  real   smile rather than an impersonal ‘LIKE’ on Social Media

I have always believed that *REAL* education transcends cultural, demographic, social and even national boundaries as it strives to shape an individual’s thoughts and  approach to problem solving while facing life’s challenges with a smile on the face coupled with quiet confidence  and valour in the heart. To be called truly educated, one needs to have command not just over one’s core curriculum but also have a deep understanding of the world around us as it evolves, transforms and shapes itself in a constantly changing series of whorls and vortices that challenge our comprehension skills at times.

It is in is these situations, that meaningful  contributions from each one can help declutter a complex world.

One may well ask how an individual’s inputs can make a difference in this vast, opinionated country and needless to mention, an even bigger world.

Let me share a story, after reading which, one can truly understand how important and  valuable each  of us can be, while making an effort to make a positive difference in this world.

The  means  may vary  – from social media to quiet random acts of philanthropy to activism to tree plantation but the   end   will always leave one with a sense of satisfaction and bring a smile on the face of the person whose life changed for the better because of one’s kind act or contribution

The Salt & Rice story :

If you were to cook 3 cups of rice, would  you add 3 cups of salt to it?

Certainly not!

So, in every preparation of rice, the quantity of salt is always miniscule in comparison to the quantity of  rice, yet a little salt makes a huge difference to the flavour and taste of the dish.

Look up towards the bulb at the ceiling . What do you notice ? 

The size of the bulb compared to the size of the room is probably a ratio of 1:500

Yet, darkness is dispelled totally once the switch  is flicked on.

If YOU are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, then “little you” has the power and ability to make big things happen..

It is natural for us , at times, to feel outnumbered or overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of evil or wrong that exists around us. Some of us choose powerlessness and decide to go with the flow, not standing up for what we believe is right.

But let us remember : In the river of life, humankind struggles to swim upstream AGAINST the current whereas corpses float powerlessly downstream WITH the current

Little doesn’t mean insignificant.

You are significant. You MAKE a difference. Stop mindlessly  waiting  to be on the side of the majority. They may be the majority, but they morph into a trivial *majority* once YOU BECOME the impactful minority.

They are the rice of the world; You are the salt .They are the dark room and you are the light.

Remember: You are the seasoning in this dish we call our globe or world. Garnish this dish with your personality and contribute meaningfully without compromising on core values of respect and dignity for all to make it  beautiful