2012

 

It was initiated by the Mayan as their longest period calendar ended on that day, 21^st December 2012. The start date of the Long Count calendar was significant for the ancient Mayan people because this was the date on which they believed the world was born. Certainly this date marked what they believed was the end of a previous world and the beginning of a current one.

The Mayan astronomers were clearly very clever people. And they developed a very complex calendar. Ancient calendars seem to have been very important to historians but it is an obvious fact that they cannot match the ability we have today to keep track of time. The main point is that calendars, whether contemporary or ancient, cannot predict the future of our planet or warn of things to happen on a specific date which we now see is the mere truth.

December 21^st came and went. And we now see we are alive. In some parts of the world, people had actually sold off their houses and had gone to enjoy the last few days of their lives. The impact Internet and other media had on the world and people’s lives today are indescribable. Media played a major role in the midst of all the drama of ‘2012, the impending apocalypse’, the movie is one major example.

The world will surely end, someday, just not right now. And when the time comes, we will all know. But for now, we just need to keep faith. In our beliefs, in ourselves.

The American Dream

 

This was merely a concept brought about by the founders of this country towards a more liberated life, where your own wishes could be fulfilled. Where a man could carry himself alone, without being dependant on others, where he could be whoever he wished to be. This was the dream towards a life of prosperity, liberty, joy and freedom.

In the novel Of Mice and Men, the writer explores several themes, the main being the American Dream. Set in the 1930s during the Great Depression, the writer is fairly bringing out the importance of the American Dream at the time of world recession. This was the shining glimmer of hope that helped people carry on with their lives, the mere belief that one day they would be well off to live happily as they wished. This was what George and Lennie believed. The dream to own their own farm got rid of their loneliness and helped for their survival.

The lives of the migrant workers described in the novel are of isolation and unpredictability. Their companionship held them together, each dependant on the other for survival; George in the need for company and Lennie due to his mental instability.

The ranch hands in the novel all shared the same dream, to have freedom; liberty. Except for Slim, due to his god like stature in the novel, and Curley as he is seen to be a man of no sensibility and respect in the novel, everyone else has a dream. Curleys’ wife is one of the main characters whose dream is brought about. She wanted freedom, to be an actress. But her marriage to Curley killed any possibility she would ever have in giving life to her dream. Then there was the Stable Buck, Crooks who was the only black man in the ranch. Though he dreamed of freedom, in my view, I feel that he wanted more. He wanted a life where he wasn’t discriminated by his race. The reason for his cold and sharp character was because of the discrimination he faces at the ranch. However, a softer side is brought out when he willingly offers to help out with George and Lennie’s plan. His initial skepticism wears off as he is seen to want to be a part of the plan.

American Dream still lives in people’s hearts today. The dream to achieve your goals, raising your children to be whoever they wanted and also being your true self is something that still lives on in our lives. People still migrate to seek better work or in the hopes of acquiring more knowledge, to start of their lives afresh, to make way for their children’s happiness. It is a belief that wouldn’t die, a dream that strives in our hearts to create happiness and joy within us.

 

Phobias

Up until a while ago, I didn’t realize that phobias were that big of a problem for the people who had them. I realized that my fear towards the repulsive cockroaches that haunts the dark cupboards in my house wasn’t exactly a phobia. As we often mistake the shrill shrieks whenever we spot one of these creatures coming out for a snack as a symptom for having a phobia, it became clear to me that this was a serious psychological disorder.

There have been numerous times in people’s lives that have led them to live uncomfortably due their phobic fear. Imagine having a phobia for cars. What measures would you take to avoid riding in a car, let alone even coming near one? This is life changing situations and the irrationality of the fear is often the clear definition of a phobia.

The real symptoms for phobias are more serious than I actually thought. Often phobic people could actually start trembling at the mention of the name of their feared object, and break them down uncontrollably at the sight of it. These are intense feelings and clearly indicate the fact that their mental stability isn’t very strong. As a result, the therapies used in curing their fear are pretty extreme.

Flooding is one of the most common methods of curing phobia. This involves a pretty harsh procedure as the person is directly pushed into a situation where they are exposed to it one on one. If a person suffered from arachnophobia, they are well likely to face their fear, the unwelcoming hairy spiders. The person initially breaks down due to their anxiety. They may cry, scream and show all sorts of heartbreaking emotions. But after a while, their body will learn to relax. It is really unlikely for human beings to be in an anxious state for a long time.

The problems with this type of therapy are plenty. First of all, the person could suffer from a heart attack and die. Secondly, their fear may actually get worse as the uncontrollability of the situation may lead them to discontinue therapy. Third and most importantly, if you decide to continue with flooding, there is no way out. You either go with it or complete the procedure or you never do the therapy. The mental state of a person could get really worse if he or she stops the therapy and the safe way is to continue it.

Although, flooding isn’t used often anymore, this could be said to be the most effective of all the therapies. Systematic desensitization and cognitive behavioral therapy are less extreme and more preferable choices for therapies that can be used to cure phobias. However they are much slower and less effective as flooding.

Finding yourself :)

It took me a while to realize this. But as I sat in the Counselor’s room talking to her, it finally dawned on me; venting out my problem to others will do no good. You either put you’re your entire heart out to someone or you do something about it. That’s when I discovered the importance of self-discovery

There is this eternal truth. “Put yourself over other. Think of your happiness before going around making others happy.” Well, I would be lying if I said that these same words haven’t been repeated over and over again by anyone who has advised me. And today, I wondered. “What does that even mean?” That did seem kind of selfish. Maybe I am just dense, but that was the direct thought that passed my mind at that moment.

So I ask my sister at lunch. “How do you put yourself over others? What is that actually supposed to mean?” Writing this, I actually find myself laughing. But the truth was, I was actually baffled. Her answer was cute simple. And pretty realistic at that too.

She said. “So you have a pencil okay? And your best friend does not. You give your pencil to your best friend and you will end up in trouble. But if you don’t, you actually thought of yourself. Don’t get yourself into trouble for someone else.” And I realized that I have been giving my pencil to others for a while now, metaphorically speaking of course.

I am no Saint. I mean, there have been times I have been pretty selfish. But, those were the wrong times. I choose to be selfish at the times that I shouldn’t. And that was the reason for my problems. When it comes to doing the right thing over the wrong, I have chosen the wrong path.

There may be tough times in life. Worse, there will be times when I would have no one around me. But the honest truth is that, if you can’t truly value how important you are, how can anyone else? So I decided that if I am going to find a solution to my problems, I am going to make that happen. No one can make you happier than yourself. And this is what it mean to discover yourself.