You Can Influence Life-Steve Jobs

Getting High-Delusional

I am sitting on a horse
A winning horse
Each time i win
I am high on cocaine
Guess the horse also feeds on it
I crave for it
Day and night
When i don't get it
i am lost and angry
Thinking only of my next dose and kick
Frantically searching ways and means of finding it
All the people around me
Feed me with it
They applaud and cheer for every win i make
I like them around me.
My high, my cocaine
Gets better with parasites around me
What is success if there aren't any
Parasites to suck the blood
Making you feel less guilty
About the selfishness you harbor
Once in a while you do feel remorse and guilt, you desparately want to get rid of it
You wash the cocaine with alcohol
And blow the guilt in flames
You fool yourself into thinking that you love them
Wife, kids, parents and all
You think you have compassion but you know it is only passion-raw, crude, selfish, apologetic
But you know
You are just addicted to the cocaine
Addiction makes me delusional
Delusion of making this world a better place.
Delusion of loving human kind or humans
Delusion of being a good guy.
I need to get high, i need my addiction, i need my delusions
For i live on them.

You Are Loved. You Are Important !

How important am I? Is this life worth living? Do i make a difference to anybody? Am I loved? What role do i play in this large universe? It will not make a difference whether i exist or not.

Guess such thoughts come to human beings. Feelings of rejection. Actions or words by near and dear ones which make one feel discarded, abandoned, lost. Human contact, acceptance by others is an integral desire and need.

Nature probably does not offer this luxury of thinking to plants, trees, lake, river or ocean.

A friend of mine when passing through a bad phase asked me questions which reflected above thoughts. It is always easy to preach, advice but sometimes still one goes ahead and does that much to the discomfort and pain to the aggrieved person.
I tried to make my point by an analogue.

If each drop of water questions the importance of its existence and ceases to exist will there be a river or ocean. Each drop of water with its uniqueness merges with other drops equally unique to make ocean. There would be no waves kissing earth if each drop protested. The phenomenal strength, relentlessness, depth, mystery, treasure, life of ocean exists because of each drop of water. Even though each drop of water may not realize this significance but each contribute to it.
When they depart from the ocean because of evaporation as individual molecules they may have existential questions. But this journey, the reunion to form clouds is all to sustain and nurture life. If not for this journey there would be no clouds, no rain. Without each drop of rain there would be no life.
The rivers, lakes and ponds embrace each drop of rain water and welcome them to their fold. Each drop which plants and trees drink through their roots makes the journey of each drop a pilgrimage. A journey complete and fulfilling at each step of the journey.

We are all drops of water. We forget but each one of us is special,  important and loved. There are times when we fail to notice this, be aware of this significance.

Celebrate life. You are loved. You are important. You make a tremendous difference.

Health Is Wealth!

Without health it is difficult to have fun, pleasure, wealth, freedom and drive for reason and responsibility. At times in pursuit of above mentioned things we lose our focus on health and lose health! This is true at individual and country level.

Which country has the best health care system?
Does spending more on healthcare ensure better health?
What is the optimum funding for healthcare?
How health is a linear and non-linear function?

The above questions require research and data collection and analysis. And it will always be a work in progress. Three articles published in Lancet throw some light and make us ponder on health.

Wealth But Not Health In USA The article speaks about the now well known fact that US spends more on health care per person than other G7 countries.
Americans especially American women are having declining health for 30 years.  Americans fare badly not only at life span but also at infant mortality, low birth weight, injuries and homicides, teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, drug-related deaths!, obesity, diabetes and heart disease, chronic lung disease, HIV/AIDS prevalence.  The data if segregated according to region and economic level will be more revealing about the disparity in health condition.
I suspect there is a great inequality in health care access and outcome within US. This despite the fact that US spends 18% of its GDP on health. The leading European countries range between 9.5 to 12 %. And they have better metrics to show. One thing which i dare to conclude without digging into the data  is that probably the level of inequality is less as of today. It will be interesting to note the metrics 5 and 10 years from now as austerity measures get implemented.

Cuba spends on healthcare and has results to show for it also.

What are the lessons for other countries? What model should one follow? How should the government intervene or give incentives for better health. This especially true for young nations like India and China which will have its major population moving above 50 years in coming decade or two.

The Lancet article mentions the following remedies for US.

"Why are Americans at a health disadvantage compared with those in other countries? The fragmented US health-care system, and, in particular, poor access to health care and to primary care, are partly to blame. Lack of insurance, or inadequate insurance, restricts access to health care for many Americans. But the system is not the only problem. Unhealthy behaviours abound in the USA, particularly overeating, drug abuse, and other risk-taking activities such as not wearing motorcycle helmets, drinking and driving, and using firearms. Social and economic conditions in the USA contribute to high incomes for some, but to high poverty and income inequality for others, and to low standards of education. Welfare safety nets are not as robust as they are in other countries. Moreover, cities in the USA are often built around car use, which discourages physical activity and contributes to obesity."

Also it seeks implementation of National Prevention Strategy.

The report mentions the following things:

The Strategy’s seven Priorities are designed to improve health and 
wellness for the entire U.S. population, including those groups 
disproportionately affected by disease and injury. 
• Tobacco Free Living
• Preventing Drug Abuse and Excessive Alcohol Use 
• Healthy Eating
• Active Living
• Injury and Violence Free Living
• Reproductive and Sexual Health
• Mental and Emotional Well-Being


My opinion:

1. Behaviors are difficult to change. People who fight fires are normally the heroes and not the one's who prevent fires! We need to glorify fire prev-enters.
2. Corporate's, government, schools, colleges should stress on healthy living. Incentives and recognition should be given to healthy people. Ideal Blood pressure individuals in different age groups, Best Glycemic control in a particular quarter, Best Aerobic capacity person, etc etc.
3. Role of viruses in causing infections, chronic diseases and cancers should be highlighted. Vaccinations should be explained.

We need not have to wait to implement these strategies in Emerging Countries. Every nation stands to benefit by rewarding healthy living.

Other articles to read:
1. Guardian
2. UC Atlas
3. PBS Newshour-How US Compares

A slightly different view!

So what are you going to do to stay healthy?

Musings

Short
The Dream
Pleasant it is

Long
The Real(Life)
Curse it is

Dream
Becomes Real
Life it is

Attached
For long
Stifling it is

Detachment
An attempt
Pain it is

Creative Jab

In search of leisure
We create treasure
And lose leisure

In search of peace
We become violent
And lose peace

In search of best
We become blind
And lose good

In search of love
We become blind
To the love we have

Such is life
That without searching
Life is bland

Keep searching
For life is
Both inside and outside