Can we have a hassle free and a balanced life?

Recently I saw a note about a launch of a new shoe. The shoe is equipped with blue tooth and can synchronise well with your smart phone. The shoe can help you navigate, synch up with maps and provide you directions to reach your destination.

The shoe is also designed well. The blue tooth module is supposed to take the shape of the sole and aesthetically designed well with beautiful curves. And there are of course a plethora of other features and benefits that it can offer including the calories burnt, fitness levels, BMI whatever…

Brilliant!

Interesting to see such new devices being launched on a daily basis.

However that set me to think. Where do all these all lead to??? Aren’t we becoming slaves of technology day in and out? I know that the shoe can be very useful in day to day life amid the stress and chaos...

Fundamentally – is it really helpful? Well, I was once a geek myself. Grew up as a kid with a dream to make it big in the Electronics world. And was an early adopter of whatever technologies and gadgets that came my way.

Now slowly my tendencies are shifting, while grappling with the thousands of apps in my smart phone and tablet. I am yet to have a glimpse of the Google Glass though.

However my submission today is that, in the process of technological advancements are we losing the simple skills that we were once proud of? We have forgotten the art of remembering telephone numbers(you might argue previously there weren’t this many telephones), thanks to the smart phone’s address book. We don’t have to remember birthdays – Facebook is there to remind us. We don’t have to waste our time calling someone – texts and video sharing have become so easy.. Aren’t these leading to a bizarre concept of people avoiding to talk? Meeting people is far-fetched.

Kids are happier playing a weird and a scary game on the iPad than playing outdoor with other kids. Oh, they connect with new friends online L! Don’t know if it is a good idea.

We need not remember roads or directions – the shoe will help you!

Call me a laggard.. Or even a luddite..

I prefer a simple hassle free life. I wouldn’t like to miss out on those simple skills that I had developed over the years. Do I need to enrol my kid into a specialised coaching program for developing those simple natural skills and instincts?

Technological advancements are good, but the perils are too costly too.. Challenging times! 

Stand up for what you believe in!

What a wonderful Birthday I had! Birthday is definitely one day which makes you feel good.. There’s attention all over… Phone calls, text messages, greetings, FB messages, gifts whatever… Feels good! Thanks all of you who took the time to wish me.

The messages were lovely. There was one message from a good friend which got me thinking.

She had sent me her beautiful greetings with a note that I inspire her too, more so because she had learnt to take a neutral stand in a diverse set of group and in group communications – which apparently she began her learning from me.. Interesting! Thanks for those kind words.. Was flattered to hear that.. More so to receive this compliment from the person whom I respect… She also said that I did leave an impression too..

Ha! – what more one needs to receive as a compliment on the Bday!

But that set me to think as well… Perhaps neutralism in groups is something which I think I have imbibed over the years of practicing “goodness”.. One does get carried away by the tag attached to one… Though I was brought up in that environment since childhood to practice being good and kind..

As a modern day manager one does get to face myriads of issues. My trait of following neutrality has helped me a lot in managing diverse factions with reasonable ease. But in the process one should also be careful that it doesn’t always work to be neutral.. That was another learning for me.. Yes I had to learn to take a stand!

At that time some I came across some quotes which I thought were very relevant in my learning process… Life teaches you new things everyday.. this is one such!

There have been occasions when my so called “good and neutral” stand had led to some people comment that I was being a coward or being an escapist! Oh, well!

Tough calls!

Well thinking a bit deeper into it – I do feel that my approach is perhaps “what I believe In” …. And why should I be afraid to take that stand? Isnt my approach helping me in making me dig deeper to take a wise and a balanced stand? Let me keep exploring…

Thanks friend – for reinforcing the faith in me.

And, it’s not easy too…