Point to Ponder: The more you experience life, the more wisdom you gain and the more meaningful your life becomes.
Reflection:
I came across this superb article (The Physics of Quest) while researching in internet about the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” in which Liz (Julia Roberts), having gone through major changes in her life, decides to get out of her comfort zone and embark on the journey of self discovery to Italy, India and Bali, Indonesia.
I could also relate with our own journey; the one my wife and I started a year ago as Twilight Explorers; experiencing different cultures, getting to know more people and contribute positively in whichever way possible for us.
Whichever stage you are in life; contemplating changes in career, relationships or in other aspects of life, this article will provide great points to ponder and ideas for action. Highly Recommend.
Story Line: The Physics of Quest: A Truth-Seeking Journey. by Hanna Abdelwahab Source: Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences.
A paragraph from article as an appetite before you venture into the entire article ( link at the bottom of paragraph)
In a memoir called "Eat, Pray, Love" (most of us remember the movie which starred Julia Roberts), the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, talked about the "physics of the quest", which goes something like this: "If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared - most of all - to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself … then the truth will not be withheld from you."
Points to Ponder: In many ways, old age can be a great blessing because the whole experience of life is behind you. - Candi Brim-Bagley
Story Line: There has not been a dull moment in our first 51 days in India. Majestic monuments, historic sites, deserts, forests and vast ocean; beautiful churches, mosques, temples; vibrant cities; watching lions, tigers, leopards within 10 feet of us and other wild animals in their natural environments /forests and noticing incredible energy and enthusiasm of people have been the source of great joy. But the greatest thing has been meeting friends and family members from my childhood days, four of family members ages 91 to 99.
But today’s story is focused mostly on one person; 99 years old Smt. Siddhida A. Trivedi. At the age of 27 she joined Shree Manav Sevak Sangh, a Non-Profit Organization in the field of welfare activities for the Orphan Children and less Privileged Women & Senior Citizen. It’s Mission is to shape and impact the lives of orphaned, abandoned, destitute, Helpless Children and Women. And they have positively impacted thousands of lives.
Many decades ago she was appointed as President and Trustee, the honor she holds until today. She was actively involved in the organization but few years ago Alzheimer took it’s toll.
The reason for this reflection is what happened in the meeting with her last week.
During our 90 minutes interaction, she asked same questions several times and when I answered, she will recollect other people or events associated with it. But few seconds/minute later, she forgot and asked same question again. But something very surprising happened twice:
When I told her about an organization that is involved in education and empowerment of poor children in Assam, she patiently listened, was very curious and asked many follow up questions about the activities there. The conversation took place for several minutes with continuity of thought process; no memory lapses. At the end I saw happiness on her face.
And when we were leaving, I told her how many orphaned children and women have better life because of her efforts for 70 years, I noticed tears in her eyes.
For a person who couldn’t remember most of things we discussed seconds ago, had not forgotten things related to noble cause she had dedicated her life.
I left the place heavy hearted.
Reflection: During my childhood years my family used to visit Bombay during summer vacation. She was always very kind and arrange many sightseeing trips and family events for us. But events that have impacted me most and shaped approach in life is following.
Her husband was a senior executive in India’s largest corporation. Many times while we were at their place, they would get invited to exclusive clubs or homes of their friends ( personal invitations not company events).
We, coming from different upbringing, wore clothes that were not to the standards people wore in those type of places. Plus I wore only rubber slippers; no shoes.
What I remember is that she would inform her friends that she was bringing us ( her summer guests) at those events, never embarrassed to introduce us to Who’s Who of society and engaged us in conversations with them.
Those experiences shaped my life in two ways: treat every person with dignity irrespective of background or external gadgets and they also gave me a lot of confidence to talk to anyone in any position/place by being Who I am.
How fortunate I am to have been able to meet my aunt, Smt. Siddhidaben after decades and express my gratitude to her.
Point to Ponder: Things don’t go wrong during most travels but in case they do, what level of risk can you afford in a foreign place?
Story Line: While traveling, Don’t leave home without these three things.
A small box of first aid kit and some essential medicines in case of emergency. It has rescued me once in a small town in Japan and got me through the night until I found help next morning but my box has helped more of fellow travelers.
A printed copy of essential documents like passport, tickets, visa, medical related and itinerary. Know of two friends whose bag, purse were stolen during travel and passports, credit cards were lost. One had printed copy of documents and the other didn’t. What followed were Stories of Triumph vs Tragedy.
Travel Insurance: it has come to rescue many times for us: during volcanic eruption in Bali, when my partner got injured and six of us were stranded for 15 days in Helsinki and one more time when I had to cancel a trip to Turkey. We have also witnessed first hand what happened to visitors who didn’t have insurance and stranded in Bali, also one family who couldn’t travel to Malaysia out of Fiji because of forests fires smoke over Indonesia.
Reflection: In the year 2003 My work colleague, and I were traveling to Asia for business. Our first stop was South Korea. While there, he noticed that I was carrying a box of first aid kit which also contained many different kinds of medicines. He looked at me and said “ You are a sickly man; carrying many medicines” I told him that I carried them for precautions, in case of emergency and needed it only once through all my travels. But many a times they have been useful to fellow travelers. I emphasized that he should understand as a teacher of Prevention and Think Different type classes.
Unfortunately he didn’t give up and kept making fun of me on the trip until…One day we visited Suzhou in China, and he dined at a place famous for dumplings.
Next morning we were scheduled to leave for Singapore. At 1:00AM, the phone in my room kept ringing while I was fast asleep. Annoyed I picked up and there was a very weak, more or less crying voice, “Do you have that Cipro? When I asked the reason he said “ I am very sick; I have high temperature and diarrhea. We need to travel tomorrow morning plus if I have a fever they will put me in Quarantine in Singapore” I asked him “Do you have a prescription for Cipro? He begged to give him medicines. I said “OK I have some non-prescription medicines that will help you with fever and stomach upset. Once we get to Singapore you visit Doctor”
Well, the rescue passage the “Sickly man” always carried helped him get to Singapore”
That afternoon, He returned from Doctor’s office with four different prescription medicines. But the ordeal had not yet ended.
At midnight I got a call from him “Anand I am feeling giddy. I am very giddy”
Pardon my poor English, I said, but what does giddy mean? Stop making fun of me, he replied. “I am feeling terrible”
Further inquiry revealed that he had taken all those medicines without food.
To our misfortune the hotel didn’t have midnight food service but the receptionist was kind enough to go to kitchen and made some warm food and drinks for him.
Next time we were traveling, I noticed that he was carrying one white box with him. Just to be a gentleman, I did not ask him what was inside. Seems he was Thinking Different. 😊
Here are two short videos with humor for Travel Tips.
Point to Ponder: The relationships with companies are purely business and temporary; but the value you deliver, the relationships with people and learning experiences are lifelong. - Pravin R Shah
Storyline: This week I came across two interesting stories: One young man got laid off from a large corporation. In his note he talked about positive memories of the year with the company. Many notes from friends and colleagues recounted fond memories with him. Next day a former colleague sent him a photo of a nice motivational note he had written a month ago on one conference-room board. It was still there.
The other story I heard was about the person who retired after 39 years with an organization. The person left all items (SWAG: Plaques, Mugs, Clothing..) that were given to her in various company recognitions and celebrations. The person left without saying goodbye to many longtime colleagues displaying an attitude “I have nothing to do with this organization.”
This brought back memories of my days in the corporate world, and hence this reflection…
Reflection: Very early in my career I had come to the conclusion that the relationships with your company/your employer are purely business and nothing personal. No matter what claims are being made about lifetime benefits, good corporate citizenship, the best place to work on the planet Earth etc; The bottom line is- its business, and all seemingly attractive, tempting things are only in the context of what serves the business interest. (Another story for some another reflection)
Since then I’ve considered every relationship with my employer/ company as a business. With the mindset that someone is entrusting me and paying me to deliver certain results in terms of products or services, my duty is to deliver best possible solutions. This mentality served me very well in entire 40 years career.(1975-2015)
But the valuable benefits of those business dealings were a lot more than just business results or what I got paid for it.
Many talented, wonderful people around the world became lifelong friends. Dealing with so many different industries, companies and countries resulted in many learning experiences that enhanced the understanding of different technologies, cultures and history. And the significant positive impact of our work was acknowledged and appreciated in many ways by the organizations and people we served at that time and even now (many years later).
(Shhhhh…And I have treasured every memory; notes from people, coffee mugs, pictures, paper weights, jackets, recognitions for delivering outstanding results.)
Point to Ponder: “You’ve got to dance like there’s nobody watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like there’s nobody listening and live like it’s heaven on earth.” William Purkey
Story Line: Certain events, people and images we encounter stay with us for a lifetime. I would like to share this unforgettable scene during a visit to Cambodia in 2016.
My wife and I were visiting ancient temple in the outskirts of Siem Reap. We noticed this little kid fully engrossed in dancing in tune with what seemed to be one of Michael Jackson’s songs.
Only after a few minutes of enjoying his dance, my wife pointed out that he didn’t have any music playing device. He had an ear plug with long wire not connected.
Reflection: That little kid was living up to the real message in point to ponder: Be in the present, love what you do and be free of anyone’s expectations or judgements.
Wish You the Year full of Dancing, Singing, loving and Working on things you enjoy and creating your own beautiful story.
Points to Ponder: I feel like my whole life was training ground for today and I am figuring out that in the fourth quarter of my life I want to finish strong. I really want to finish strong and this is what I want to do--John Helin
Credits for the video: John Helin, Kingston Media, ourmissionourveterans.org
Story Line: 2022 was a year of major changes in our lives. During this year of transition, I met many fine individuals. Through these interactions with people in various professions, cultures and countries- I heard some remarkable life stories. This end of the year reflection is dedicated to a remarkable person, John Helin. His life story is an inspiring one of transformation and selfless service. John dedicates his personal time and business resources to aid homeless veterans in locating and moving donated furniture into their new homes. I was fortunate to see first hand the effect John's work has on the homeless veterans he serves- from veterans recovering from drug addiction to a little five year old girl squealing with delight when seeing her new home for the first time and exclaiming in awe, "I love this house," John's selfless work has positively impaced hundreds of lives.
I can personally attest that John has made a big impact on our lives as well. I felt compelled to share coveage of his story from CNBC about John Helin
The following description about John is from the original central peninsula video.
"The 4th Quarter of Life is an amazing story of transformation. At the age of 12, John Helin became addicted to drugs and alcohol. For 25 years John continued to fight these demons until one day he attended a service at Central Peninsula Church and made a commitment to straighten his life out. During this journey, John connected with their veterans ministry which helps homeless veterans throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. As an owner and operator of a moving company, John came up with a perfect solution to how he could make a huge difference in the lives of veterans.
Many of John's clients had high end furniture that they no longer needed and they would give the furniture to him which included complete bedroom, living room, and dining room sets. John in turn would deliver and setup the furniture for previously homeless veterans when they were able access stable housing through community based organizations.
When John gets a call that a veteran has accessed housing, he immediately puts a plan in place to fully furnish the apartment. Today, John has provided beautiful furniture and an amazing gift to hundreds of veterans. John says, "I'm in the 4th quarter of life and I want to finish strong."
Reflection: What has impressed me more about John is that he not only spends his resources to pick up and deliver furniture for previously homeless veterans but he also spends time listening to their stories. He takes time to share his own story of struggle and transformation which have made a significant impact on the lives of many people. While he is determined to finish strong in the fourth quarter of his life, he is helping others- many of them young veterans- to improve the early quarter of their lives. We feel incredibly fortunate to have met John and to be able to share his work and story with you. What I've learned from John is that no matter what may have occured in the past, you have the power right now to make a positive change for the future.
If you like to help here is more information https://ourmissionourveterans.org/
Happy Thanksgiving Holidays to All whose encouragement, support and help have made our life so fulfilling. Thank You for your kindness, care and love through the years.
In light of the current world enviornment and state of our country (and ongoing World Cup Soccer), we decided to revisit an old thanksgiving reflection from the year 2007.
Point to Ponder: "Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision, the ability to direct individual accomplishments towards organizational (Team,Family, Nation) objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon things."- Andrew Carnegie
Story Line: But if you sometimes have trouble having compassion for the people you work with, consider the story of the good man who died and, because he had done a few things wrong, was required to spend a short time in hell.
While he was there, he found that one main torture was that everyone was forced to try to eat with spoons that were longer than their arms. The food kept dropping over their shoulders. The condemned were in constant torment for hunger in the midst of good food they couldn’t eat. Then the man was transferred to heaven.
To his surprise, he found that they had the same spoons there but they never went hungry because they fed each other.
Reflection: What kind of world do we want going forward? What changes do we need to make? Please spend sometime to ponder and initiate actions.
Note: After 17 years, Friday Reflections took a pause because of major changes in our lifestyle. They are resuming now and only time they will not publish is when we don't have access to Networks. Thanks to so many readers who sent us note saying how much they missed them.
From Left to Right: Row 1: Photos of City Ong (aka CT) and Adventures of Gautam. Row 2: Art of Shubhada and Signature Smile of Xiomara
By Phoebe Pineda
Point to Ponder: Success leaves clues. Go figure out what someone who was successful did, and model it. Improve it, but learn their steps. They have knowledge – Tony Robbins
Storyline: Recently, we’ve spotlighted some people who exhibit extraordinary passion, creativity, and kindness despite maintaining busy work lives. Looking at these remarkable stories, we’ve identified a few commonalities:
Childhood experiences: How people grow up is important in building the foundation for who they become as adults. Shubhada grew up immersed in art and science; Xiomara lived in a social neighborhood where everyone knew each other; and Gautam spent his youth watching sunsets and exploring forests in the remote outskirts of Mysore, India. For CT, the youngest child with the big age gap with siblings, he exercised his imagination while playing alone.
Support and encouragement: Having a supportive environment and people who are invested in your well-being is key. In addition to having parents who made sure he didn’t overwork himself, Gautam had a friend in high school who took him under her wing and helped him navigate the tumult of adolescence. Shubhada had very supportive parents. CT and Xiomara were deeply influenced by their mothers.
A turning point: Several of our subjects can pinpoint the moment they discovered their passion, whether by volunteering to take photos at a conference (CT) or borrowing money from their best friend to buy a train ticket to Nepal (Gautam).
Curiosity/risk-taking: Our subjects like to venture beyond the beaten path, driven by a desire to see the world in new and exciting ways. Shubhada utilizes out-of-the-box thinking (OBT) in both her engineering career and her artwork; Gautam seeks out the roads less traveled as he explores new countries; and CT finds his camera lens drawn to everything from sunsets to animals to a drop of dew on a leaf.
Building a relationship between passion and profession: Just because your interests are diverse doesn’t mean lessons from one can’t be applied to the other. Shubhada approaches both engineering and art with creativity and a methodical focus, and CT finds he’s at his most focused and ready to work after he’s spent some time taking photographs.
COVID as an opportunity: With the pandemic slowing life down, our subjects have embraced their passions. CT documented life in his Malaysian neighborhood, Gautam and his family hit the road to Florida and Yosemite, Shubhada drew daily charcoal portraits of inspiring people, and Xiomara encouraged those around her to remain positive despite the circumstances.
Love first: Though some make money from their passion, they do it primarily because they love it, and because they want to share the joy it brings them with the world.
Reflection: In Developing Talent in Young People, psychologist Benjamin Bloom identifies three key elements that are crucial to helping children discover and foster lifelong passions: exposure, support, and coaching.
My younger brother and I have been lucky enough to have parents willing to allow us to experience and experiment with different interests rather than limiting us to a rigid set of expectations. As a family, we love to travel–and to eat–and over the years my brother and I have been exposed to all sorts of different places (and different types of food). For my brother, a weekend is not complete if we haven’t hit the road–whether it’s a drive along the coast, a trip out to the new mochi donut shop, or even running errands at Costco.
Our parents have supported us in all our ventures as we tried new things: while neither of us took a liking to soccer, I enjoyed my ballet classes at the local rec center, and my brother is an avid runner. Their support, both emotionally and financially, has enabled us to receive proper coaching in order to hone our skills, from my brother’s weekly cross-country practices to my continuing education in writing and literature at a university whose faculty are committed to helping their students develop their craft and grow as artists.
But you don’t have to be a young person to find your passion, to discover what excites you. Expose yourself to new things, open yourself to new experiences. Find a friend (or two–maybe more) to support and encourage you–and don’t be afraid to seek out a mentor! You’re never too old–or too young–to find what you love.
Originally from the SF Bay Area, Phoebe Pineda currently studies Writing and Literature at the University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies. In addition to storytelling, she enjoys sunset-watching, road trips, and making art.
Anand and Phoebe first met at a Kid-to-Work Day over two decades ago. Once a week, they meet to discuss the various stories, experiences, memories, and lessons he's collected over the years. They approach each conversation from two different stages in life, one looking forward, the other looking back.
“If you’re having a good time in your own company, it’s a good sign that you’re happy and you enjoy what you do.” -Shubhada
By Phoebe Pineda
Point to Ponder: “Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking about it differently.” –Albert Szent-Györgyi
Storyline: From majestic landscapes to portraits of renowned historical figures, Shubhada Sahasrabudhe’s art captures beauty in all sorts of places.
An engineer by trade, working at one of the world’s largest tech companies, Shubhada grew up in two worlds: art and science. “I lived in an engineering town that manufactured pumps, and my dad worked in research and development,” she says. “But art was in the house all the time. My dad did outstanding sketches and paintings, and we spent our evenings sitting side-by-side with him and watching him work, doing random art projects-Even his engineering drawings.” Growing up close to the process of creation, both at the pump factory and at home, instilled a strong sense of curiosity in Shubhada–“We were told to always be curious, not to stop at what but to ask why”–as well as a strong creative drive: “There was this push to be original,” she says. “My parents told me, ‘You have to create something that belongs to you. You're not an artist or a scientist unless you have contributed.’”
With limited supplies around the house, Shubhada often spent her childhood drawing in dirt roads with a stick which interestingly and unknowingly connected her to sand as a medium which she used years later. “It was like an unlimited canvas,” she says. Though she now has access to more traditional mediums, such as oil and acrylic, she still enjoys working with less conventional materials. “I’ve always been an experimentalist, so I always try a new technique–anything that stains with a pigment is my medium,” she says. “If I finish my coffee and I have a little left at the bottom, I will use it.” Her sand art in particular has garnered much attention, including a guest appearance on the Nickelodeon show Ryan’s Mystery Playdate.
Despite coming up in a workplace culture where hobbies and leisure time were challenging, Shubhada takes both her engineering and artistic career equally seriously. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like art and science are distinct things,” she says. “To me they are so blurry and so similar. Yes, there is more system to science, but you see both elements–system and random–in different ways. When I begin a painting, I don’t start with the details: I do the big strokes first to get the basic form and values together, and that defines my painting. That’s exactly how I think of engineering: whenever I look at a problem statement, I look at the broad strokes and ask myself, What am I trying to do? Once I have those pieces, I know how to fill in the minor details. Knowing the end point helps guide your next steps.” Science and engineering also played a major role in Shubhada’s sand art, from constructing the worktable (which Shubhada designed and built herself) to finding the right type of sand: “I went to twenty different beaches to get as many sand samples as possible,” she says.
Though balancing work and life can be challenging, Shubhada says making time to do what she loves is worth every minute. “Painting for hours is meditative,” she explains. “It’s the most neutral feeling you can have, which is so rare in this day and age: not happy, not sad, just neutral and satisfied.” She’s made it a priority to share that feeling with others, whether it’s teaching three and a half hours of back-to-back weekly classes through her art academy or finishing and posting a charcoal portrait every day for 140 days during quarantine. Sketch a Day “I tried to use my art to combat the negativity and sadness,” she says. “If you’re having a good time in your own company, it’s a good sign that you’re happy and you enjoy what you do.”
*For her contributions in the field of science, Shubhada recently received an esteem award "Women Engineer of the Year" by American Sociery of Mechanical Engineers. Being recognized in the areas of her profession as well passion demonstrates her commitment to excellence in whatever she takes up.*
Reflection: I’ve always envied creatives who work in math and science: my physics and bio major friends who draw, write, and paint, who can navigate these two seemingly opposing fields, one world as foreign to me as the other is familiar. Talking with Shubhada gave me insight into that fluidity: it’s about having a certain mentality, an approach that combines order and creativity and, most of all, an eagerness to learn.
At the end of the day, though the work may be different, the processes are more similar than we think, and the ultimate goal is the same: both science and art attempt to make sense of how the world works. Science tells its own kind of story, the histories of who we are and how we got here, how the world moves around us and how we move within it. And art is its own kind of science, an ongoing process of trial and error and building on the ideas of those that came before you, expanding our view of the world, defining and redefining truth.
For Anand, the son of two artists, interviewing Shubhada brought back a lot of memories of his own childhood, and how drawing on those creative experiences influenced his approach to problem-solving, enabling him to look at things differently and formulate solutions.
Our community of readers consists of people with a variety of different passions. Though these may seem different on the surface, all have similarities in terms of process and approach, and all have valuable lessons that can be applied to different contexts. But most importantly, no matter your line of work, putting your heart, enthusiasm, and soul into your endeavors will help you succeed.
You can support Shubhada’s work by visiting her WEBSITE or following her on Facebook.
Attachments: Versatility of the artist.
*late addition paragraph by Anand*
Originally from the SF Bay Area, Phoebe Pineda currently studies Writing and Literature at the University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies. In addition to storytelling, she enjoys sunset-watching, road trips, and making art.
Anand and Phoebe first met at a Kid-to-Work Day over two decades ago. Once a week, they meet to discuss the various stories, experiences, memories, and lessons he's collected over the years. They approach each conversation from two different stages in life, one looking forward, the other looking back.
