4 MAJOR HEALTH SECTORS

LOCKDOWN helped me to understand somethings to the core.

It is true for me, so I would like to believe it must be true for every human being living on the surface of the earth.

As long as we are alive, need to excercise ( work-out)  in four different health areas.

1- SPIRITUAL HEALTH

2- MENTAL HEALTH

3- PHYSICAL HEALTH

4- FINANCIAL HEALTH

The sequence is very important and they are interdependent, none of them can be ignored at any point of lifetime. Sad part is, we tend to ignore minimum one of the 4 health areas. 

Let's try to understand one by one.

"SPIRITUAL HEALTH"

      It's definition may differ from one person to another. For me, spiritual health is a one line definition: " Relationship with God ", but this line is a whole book in itself. We can have a relation with HIM, only when we know HIM, for knowing HIM, it takes a lifetime, it's a daily excercise but an exciting one, because it transforms us into a better being with every passing day.

Most of the times it is ignored or least worried about or worked out just as sufficient to not feel guilty. Good or bad, it always have direct effect on the next one.

" MENTAL HEALTH "

         This is the most important health area but  most ignored one. For some, this doesn't even exist. 

In today's world, there are many who doesn't even know, they are in depression. In such fast moving society, to maintain the pace, people are losing on the mental health unknowingly. This rat race is taking toll & people are getting more angry, more anxious & more depressed.

So, this area requires different but necessary daily excercise. Example:

- listen more, you will know that people have bigger problems than you.

- encourage / empathise people in their difficult times, they will stand with you in yours.

- meet / talk to new & experienced people.

- make friends, talk openly, do not resist changes.

- read books, which improves your thought quality.

- if you can't read, listen to audio books.

- sharpen your logic / your thought process.

- sleep 8 hours a day.

- get stronger in your "character ethics" ( reference: 7 habits ).

Mentally healthy, half the life is sorted. Then comes the next.

"PHYSICAL HEALTH"

          Nothing to introduce in this, it's the most famous health area yet the most inconsistent one. 

It is said, even 30 minutes of jogging serves the purpose, then why ignored? 

In my opinion, directly or indirectly there are only two reasons:

1- Person is struggling with the previous health area ( mental health ).

                              OR

2- He is working too hard on the next health area...

"FINANCIAL HEALTH"

         This is the most favourite health area of all, why not? 

This is the most deceptive area compared to above 3. To maintain financial health, we need almost zero motivation.

Yes, one need to be financially healthy, but it has to properly defined to one's conscience. 

Sadly, when all the other sectors are neglected to maintain only the financial health, BANG !!... "it's a vicious trap", then one has to work harder and harder and harder  financially to maintain a balance with the other health sectors.

It needs a concious efforts of an individual to gain in all the 4 health sectors and ignoring anyone of them... Sorry, no excuses.

BEING FATHER !! More than a relation...

    I am a Father, having 50 days old son. He can hardly balance his head now. It just gives me immense joy when I am holding him in my arms, that "FEELING "...OMG... cannot be valued even by the best of those jewellers.

    When I look at my father, I feel like  asking him, "how did he feel, when he held me in his arms ? ". I know .. he will just smile and look away, he is gentle and soft spoken, and I am sure he won't be able to explain rather it is unexplainable by any father.

    As a parent, whole lot of thoughts and plans we go through( future plans) ...It starts with which name? and then Which nursery? Which school?
Which college & career?  etc etc etc.
And then we start teaching a child different values, respecting elders and many more such things... Life is good till now...Right??  Problem starts when as a parent, we figure out that our child is not following any of the things which we taught rather child is doing extremely opposite..Life is not that good now.

     Then the next plan starts, if the kid is very small, we would spank or we would try to make heavy voice with wide eyes..like a flopped dubbing artist so that kid understands he is wrong. If the kid is in Teen age, there will be lots of heated arguments and no talking sessions etc..and when the child is an adult ,it's better to speak to them with respect or it will be given back. 

    I am a teacher by profession, many parents come to me complaining about their child's studies but they end up in complaining about their behaviour. It's been 8 years I am in teaching, I have heard so many complaints of parents for their kids and their blame games, I never understood the actual problem, they just dump their worries and go, expecting as a teacher, I would do something, that's what many of our parents did when we were in school, it's sad on teachers part. I am sure even our teachers never understood the actual problem, in fact they had to say something , so in return they would give some weird solution,

   " 2 - 3 din Khana mat do, sab thikk hojayga ", as if doctor advising a patient suffering from constipation.

   " Mobile lelo uska "...

" pocket money band kardo "...

all kinds of advice, and I never seen their advice helping in any way.
By god's grace, I never felt like giving such advice to my students' parents.

     But, now when I see my son, he is infant, but in future, I  know, even I will have many good things, good advice for him & good expectations from him, as all the fathers do. But, when I see and ask myself,

"if I , myself doing all those good things ?"

"if I am living up to those good expectations?"

then I find myself falling short in many things. Then what to do?? , It's very simple, start practicing from now on, first of all, I have to live an exemplary life to advise my child.

   As Fathers, we all have a primary social responsibility is to give a better citizen to our society, ofcourse career is important for the kid, but it's secondary.

    If I want my son to respect elders, first  he need to see me, respecting my parents and in law-parents.
    If I want to see my son respecting women,first  he need to see me, respecting my wife and my mother.
    If I want to see him helping at home chores, he need to see me, giving a helping hand at home.
    If I don't want him to yell at people, then first I shouldn't be yelling on people at home.
    If I want him to say sorry, then first he need to see me, saying sorry to people at home.
    If I want to see him follow traffic rules, first he need to see me following them...this list can go on with respect to each and everything and I know it's not easy , it requires conscious efforts by us and it's worth giving efforts in the right direction. 

    Basically, everything starts from home, from us( as a parents) , kids are just the replica of what we are. We, complaining about them is actually saying, " see, what I did ".

   We all have flaws, we need to accept & rectify or get ready to see them in kids. Let's try to pass on a better character to our kids,  which is imperishable , everlasting in true sense as a heritage than the money. As parents, we would always want to pass on the best things to our kids, don't we?.

    I am trying hard, I believe you are in the same boat too. All the best.

                                        -A Passionate Father

MOMENTS OF PAIN & JOY !!

        It's 15th May 2018, 1:40pm , they are taking Shweta ( my sweetheart) to operation theatre for the delivery ( C-section).

        I can see her very nervous,  scared, taking very small steps towards operation theatre.. I can only pray for her, which I was doing continuously.

      Raj(my best friend) was sitting with me, it's always good to have ur best people around you, in good and bad times. He was excited since the last night.. and me, my palm was never so wet before, was continuously wiping it.. I was confident of the "LITTLE CHAMP" but as much worried of my sweetheart , I never saw her so nervous..I could easily make out of her eyes..
      For the first time I was feeling so helpless for her, if it was possible I was ready to take the pain, she was about to experience...I never prayed so hard anytime (atleast in my memory)..by now, my mind was in automated praying mode..
      Now, Raj was already up from his seat..I could see he was tapping his foot on the floor in rhythm and slow taps now turned to random kicks in the air as time was passing..
   And I was fully focused...my eyes couldn't miss even slight hint of movement in the doors(of OT).. meanwhile my mom and roshni(Raj's wife) were waiting in the ward.. I was so focused I didn't even change my pose since Shweta went in, I was trying to handle my emotions continuously, my mind was rushing through ocean of thoughts & running faster than light now...
    Meanwhile, the hospital staff was betting over baby - " boy or girl "...
they asked me, for my desire.

" boy or girl, doesn't matter, anything is fine", I said.

My concern was something else.

   I realised one thing here was.. people will always draw their share of moments from every event.
   Given an incident, it may be difficult & tensed situation for some but exciting for the remaining. This is how it is.. can't help it.
    Now, I can hear a faint cry of a baby, Raj heard it as well,

" awaaz suna?" 

"bahar se aaraha hai shayad"

I denied..don't know why, I didn't want to get excited before time. After few seconds the cry was louder. Now, Raj again

" Awaaz suna"

I just nodded.
     Nurses came out and started chatting among themselves, Raj overheard their chat and gave me a hint.. " ho Gaya hai ", they were busy in discussing who won the bet it seems.
    After waiting 5 long minutes paediatrician came out, he shook my hand and with very straight face he said,

"congratulations, it's a boy"

with even more blank face I said,

"thank you".

    I was not knowing how to respond to his wishes. I was very happy with the news, generally people go crazy with such news as I saw in movies, they go on hugging everyone around. I didn't do that. I was more stable, expecting some news of Shweta.
He talked nothing about her..
    Then the second doctor came with the news that baby is 4.5 kg.. I was like "woww!!"...we were just discussing about the weight , third doctor came  Dr. Minu pandey Shah( shweta's gynaec) with the baby in her hands.
   OMG!!  he was full white like an angel.. I didn't want to touch and make him dirty... He is very cute, very soft..I can't express how I was feeling...some feelings are beyond the words, in my view there shouldn't be any words to define such feelings..they should be left as they are.. beyond the language...
    He held roshni's finger very tight, he is strong as well..
    They took Him back, and after sometime they brought Shweta back to the ward.
    Now, she was looking very..very..weak, shivering, never seen her like that before.   Looking at her, my tears rolled down, I couldn't take that sight...I  was confirming several times from my mother, if Shweta gonna be fine..I was holding her hand in mine and was trying to smile with wet eyes... It was so painful to see her that way... We were trying to put the fans off as she was shivering..but she said,

" rehne do, Bache ko garam Hoga", looking at the baby in the arms of Raj.

It reminded me... she is mother now... I sighed a relief, it gave me confidence that she is gonna be alright soon.
  I saw my mother, now she was worried about me...
  Mothers are awesome..
  Finally Shweta was better, things were getting stable .
   Now, finally I could hold my son wholeheartedly. Woww!! is there anything better than this??
Ofcourse not...

INDEPENDENT INDIA - " MYTH OR REALITY "

"INDEPENDENCE" & "FREEDOM"....... say these words & take a long breath...... , the word itself gives the feeling of satisfaction.
 It's just a word in English , like any other word in any other language. For an Indian , it's not just a word ,it's a feeling of pain, pride and joy. It plays all the freedom struggles, sacrifices and stories in front of our eyes. So, every Indian has his own share of feelings and Patriotism, which shoots out on every 15th Aug and 26th Jan of every year.
 Well, we  all are going to stand and sing national anthem in flag-hoisting ceremony of our respective schools, offices and localities. While singing the Anthem, looking at waving flag, keep our hands on our heart and ask this question " ARE WE INDEPENDENT? " , " IS OUR NATION INDEPENDENT?". Surely, we came out of BRITISH SLAVERY, but in return we became slaves of many other things - discrimination on religion, caste, language, gender, what not?. Marriages still depending on Dowry , we still have to pay bribes ...we can go on with such list of issues, and we say " India is changing", yess, that is true, but why so slow? even after so many years of independence why are we still changing , and not changed? its high time to ask these questions to ourselves.
  It raises so many questions- is it a planned process by some people? is it an ignorance?... no certain answers to such questions, but certainly, we all can do our bit towards this IGNORED SLAVERY. We need to come out of this, we are free people, so lets live with freedom.
   So, lets take this as challenge...  everytime we sing National Anthem in movie theatres or wherever and everytime we see our national flag waving proudly, lets remind our duty towards REAL freedom and REAL independence and put a step forward towards the change. VANDE MATARAM.