Sampath-Musings

  FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:     SIGNS AND SYMBOLS     Signs and symbols have their origin from time immemorial as the mode and medium of communication before the advent of languages. Needless to say, signs and symbols transcend linguistic barriers.   Signs and symbols help communicate local and global messages. Today, they are ubiquitously used across the world. The vehicular traffic and rules of the road signs and symbols are such a unique lot that they speak even louder than words and effectively convey the intended concepts and ideas including the DOs and DON’Ts.   Before the regular spoken/written languages came into being, people must have used some type of area/region-specific sign language. Sign language is a visual language using hand shapes, facial expressions, gestures, and body language. They have their own specific and special vocabulary, construction features, and presentation techniques for effective communication in the abse...

  FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:     NO PAIN, NO GAIN   ‘No pain, no gain’ is a famous phrase that insists on the fact that for success in life, we need to work hard. It essentially entails earnest, enlivening, electrifying, exhaustive, and energetic efforts and exertions - including extensive, enveloping, and encompassing endeavours - even unmindful of excruciating pain and enduring hardships to accomplish high-end results and earn encomiums. After all, there is nothing like a free lunch in this world. God also appreciates and rewards those who labour hard. Actually, it’s the short version of Benjamin Franklin’s quote, “There are no gains without pains.”   We can perhaps extend the analogy thus - No guts, no glory - No money, no honey - No strain, no success - No persistence, no progress - No perseverance, no pass - No determination, no good fortune - No backbreaking work, no benefit - No sweat, no sweet - No gumption, no going great guns.   Every pr...

  FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:   DISCOVERY VIS-À-VIS INVENTION   It’s common knowledge that while an invention is a new thing created or made, a discovery is finding or bringing one already in existence to the fore. The famous quote of William Ramsay explains this in the following words, “There is a difference between discovery and invention. A discovery brings to light what existed before, but was not known. An invention is the contrivance of something that did not exist before.”   Need is the mother of invention. While discovery and invention are like the two sides of a coin, innovation and invention are twins.   While discovery and invention may seem synonymous, each holds a distinct position in the realm of new arrivals. Discovery refers to uncovering pre-existing truths or phenomena. It's the act of bringing forth what already exists in nature like Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) discovering 'Americas' which he called a ‘New World’ in 1492 , or, Sir ...

  FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:     THE QUESTION AND THE ANSWER     Let me start the proceedings with Laurie Gray’s quote, “Answer all the questions. Question all the answers.”   Children (students), the blossoming future citizens. must question the answers rather than just answer the questions which will provide them with a roadmap and blueprint for their educational advancement.   While the question is the search path, the answer is the destination. A question well-understood is half-answered. In other words, a prudent question is one-half of wisdom.   A question that has no answer is not a question at all, as it can be questioned by those who can unquestionably give an answer if it were a perfectly answerable question.   A question whose answer doesn’t give you unquestionably proper inputs to answer many other allied questions is not a wholesome question. Questioning the question is, at times, wiser than the answer,...

  FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:       LIFE IS A NEVER-ENDING RELAY RACE   At the outset, let’s trace the origin and basic truth of life's journey and life relay race. According to Mary Pride, “God intended motherhood to be a relay race. Each generation would pass the baton on to the next.”   In the olden days, whoever was physically the strongest held the stick, called the shots, and passed diktats of administration of the group of persons living in an area. The richest also wielded the baton. Then came the post of Village Mukya (Chief). At the macro level, we had Kings, Emperors, and Dictators (both benevolent and malevolent) who commanded everything with their overall, unassailable, and unquestionable powers.   Even a journey of thousand miles starts with a single step. At the micro-level, every second, minute, hour, day, and week is a step in human life. At the macro-level, every month, year, decade, and century stole the limelight for the ev...

  FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:         EVER REMAIN THANKFUL TO GOD   At the outset, let’s say to God “We’re thankful to Thee for so many things. Without You, we would have nothing else to be thankful for.”   The whole universe and all parts and parcels thereof are nothing but the reflection of the Love and Grace of God towards all living-beings including the mankind. Yes, there are a lot of things in the world and in the lives of all of us to remain grateful to GOD at all times.   A person grumbled for not being able to buy a pair of shoes to wear. One day his grouse transformed into gratefulness to God when he was stunned and startled to find a person without one leg, and on another day another without two legs! Similarly, one felt restless at not having a golden ring, but was quieted when he happened to see a person without a hand.   Nature has given mankind a plenitude of things for the consumption of all. When they all remaine...

FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:     SEEING THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF EVERYTHING   LOOKING THROUGH POSITIVE PRISM WITH OPTIMISM   YOU CAN’T FILL THE HOLE WITH THE DARKNESS       Basically, nothing comes of nothing and everything has its origin and roots in something.   Needless to say, every problem or failure is an opportunity in disguise to make you sweat it out and perform your best towards the inevitable success. There is no such thing as a problem-free life. So, be bold and face challenges. For smooth roads make no good drivers, smooth seas make no good sailors, and clear sky makes no good pilots.   There is a good reason to always look at the bright side. The spirit of optimism is a buffer and bunker against botching and works wonders. It improves your performance enhancing the overall quality of your life.   Skip the factors that give a slip. Remember, any setback is only temporary and not necessarily irreversible. Be...