The Headlines We Make

Every morning I like to pursue world news while having my breakfast. I either read the newspaper or just scroll through headlines on my smartphone while sipping my hot mug of tea.

But recently this activity has started making me feel depressed. Whether you read about Kashmir or Palestine, Yemen or Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan, mass murders or genocide, shootings or knife-stabbing incidents, one is bound to feel depressed about colossal loss of life and suffering of people dying of war, violence, disease, hunger or natural disasters in various parts of the world.

But this is not all. I have noticed that there is a huge gulf in the type of news articles that originate from some countries and those that make headlines in our part of the world.

For example, I read on BBC that Japan will send gardening experts all around the world to restore Japanese-style gardens that have fallen into a state of neglect. The gardens are used for tea ceremonies, festivals and other events to introduce people to Japanese culture. This is not only a beautiful gesture and an excellent way to promote culture and trade but also shows the priorities of Japanese government.

Then I read about a project called Little Free Library in which a book lover puts a box, shelf or crate of books in front yard of his house. Neighbors can browse, take one book, and return later with a replacement. It was started by a young man as tribute to his mother who was a teacher and loved to read. This idea was replicated by many people in their own communities and by 2016, more than 60,000 Little Free Libraries have been registered in over 70 countries.

There are reports on how Amsterdam has succeeded in becoming the bicycle capital of the world. Cycling is usual mode of conveyance in Netherlands, and even the prime minister is usually seen cycling to work. Cycling proficiency lessons are a compulsory part of the Dutch school curriculum.

News reports from Sweden tell us that this European country is so good at recycling garbage that it now imports rubbish from other countries to keep its recycling plants going.

In Singapore, chewing gum was banned because people would leave the gum on bus seats, school rooms, theatres, or sidewalks. After its ban, hardly anyone chews gum in Singapore. People can be fined up to $10,000 for littering or jailed. The offenders are required to clean public areas for up to 12 hours. Laws are same for rich and poor, common man and powerful alike.

In Wattle Grove Australia, only 10 lemon-scented mature gum trees were set to be cut down for a new road. A petition demanding that the city council review its decision to chop the trees gathered nearly 10,000 supporters forcing work to stop.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo was scheduled to participate in a parade but his motorcade got stuck in a major traffic jam in Jakarta. Rather than miss the parade the president and his entourage walked for several kilometers in scorching heat to reach their destination.

Then there is this heartwarming story of people like Jim McIngvale, known as “Mattress Mack,” who turned his furniture warehouses into shelters for people made homeless by tropical storm Harvey. When some of the storm’s victims couldn’t make it across flooded streets, McIngvale dispatched his large delivery trucks and drivers to collect people and bring them to safety. People lived, slept and ate on the beds, sofas, mattresses and furniture that were kept there to be sold.

For me, these stories are not just headlines but they convey an entire spectrum of values, laws and ideals people of these countries uphold. You would not find their parks, museums or libraries neglected or vandalized. There are stories of communities and neighborhoods coming together for common goals.

If you contrast these types of news headlines with those that originate from our part of the world, not just Pakistan but let’s say South Asia, we read about thousands of farmers committing suicide in India, collapsing bridges, landlords destroying farms of helpless widows, a man on knife stabbing spree, police clueless about how to catch criminals, never ending political shenanigans and war mongering among regional neighbors.

There are never ending tales of poverty, exploitation, land grabbing, illiteracy, superstitions and apathy on every level. There are daily reports on plight of out of school children, sexual assaults, water shortage, overflowing drains, expanding slum areas, growing traffic congestion, garbage heaps, and inadequate city planning.

I am fully aware that the western society and culture are not without their share of problems but we also have to admit that people of these countries have civic sense ingrained into them. They care about their streets and trees, butterflies and fish, lakes and mountains and their wildlife. They make queues; they have strict laws regarding traffic and cleanliness. The elderly and disabled have amazing rights under law.

In our part of the world, there is so much focus on personal goals and acquisition of material stuff that ethics, laws, love of nature and civic sense do not register on our radars at all. I cannot imagine our politicians walking on crowded streets to keep an appointment or cycling to the parliament house. 

An outdoor library would not last as all books would probably be stolen within an hour. Bans in our part of the world are ignored and not by any stretch of imagination can I see our elite cleaning streets or beaches. Do we even care about our blind dolphins or illegal hunting that’s decimating our wildlife?

People break rules just to show their power, clout and wealth. We have this amazing “Pakistan may sab chalta hai” attitude. Isn’t it time we focus on developing some basic civic sense and respect of law in ourselves individually and collectively?

Throw Away Clutter

"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris

If we take a good hard look around our homes and cupboards, we will probably find a gazillion things we no longer need. There are probably children’s clothes, toys, shoes and books taking up space, clothes that no longer fit us or went out of fashion a decade ago, ugly decoration pieces that were gifted by stingy relatives, mismatched crockery or things that we are emotionally attached to like birthday cards, picture frames or holiday souvenirs.

Having all this extra stuff in the house can have a very negative impact on our lives and emotional health, but somehow we cling to the stuff thinking we might use it one day. There is always a feeling of guilt attached to the cleaning process when we think of how much money was spent in buying the knickknacks or clothes that we now deem useless.

I always feel very depressed when I have to clean out a closet that is full of broken odds and ends. It is not only very time consuming but I am never sure which nut, bolt or wire might come in handy later. I also have a huge amount of books in my home and dusting and keeping the bookshelves organized is truly a herculean task. And yet, I am unable to sell them or give them away. In apartments or small homes which lack proper storerooms or attics, this problem is exacerbated where things always seem to overflow and there is jumbled stuff everywhere.

But having a clutter free home is essential for physical and mental well being. People who live in messy homes or work in cluttered offices are more prone to be stressed if they can’t find things they are looking for, it drains their energy and they are more likely to be short tempered. Too much clutter in the home also requires more time spent cleaning and dusting otherwise dust and mold can accumulate causing different allergies and health problems.

When it comes to handling clutter, some people find it easier to tackle a small area every day like a shelf or one drawer while some prefer to do it on a seasonal basis by going over the entire house altogether. Whatever approach works best for you, here are a few simple rules to follow:

Know what you want to keep and discard the rest. Periodically clean out your closets and check your shoes, clothes and other accessories. Anything broken, outgrown or not worn for years needs to be disposed off.

When it comes to de-cluttering, my best friends are cartons and a thick black marker. Keep 2-3 big card boxes for sorting out stuff. If unsure about certain items like books, greeting cards, shoes, clothes and crockery, place them in cardboard boxes. If you still don’t find a use for them in let’s say, 4-6 months, you can give them away. Things in good condition can also be put on sale online.

Have neatly labeled files for sorting out bills, medical reports, school reports, bank statements, receipts etc. and make it a habit to file away papers immediately.

Make it a rule to clean table tops and counters before going to bed and this habit needs to be inculcated in the whole family. Remember the maxim: A place for everything and everything in its place.

Another important rule is to slow the rate of accumulation of stuff in our homes. Before buying things mindlessly or just because they are on discount, think whether you really need them and if you have a place to store them in the house.

Be generous. If you are fashion conscious and love to buy the latest trendy kurtis, shawls or bags, make an effort to sort out and give away your old stuff instead of cramming everything in cupboards and drawers.

Similarly keeping decades old clothes thinking you might wear them “someday” is also useless. Identify people and places where you can donate stuff such as heavily embellished clothes that you no longer need or last year’s school books. There are plenty of charity organizations and poor people who could benefit from school uniforms, books, toys, blankets, bed sheets, crockery and shoes etc.

Sometimes elderly people in the house are reluctant to part ways with old possessions. Since money was not spent so freely nor there was such accumulation of personal stuff, they think it is a sacrilege to throw away old blankets or bits of furniture or clothes that were bought decades and decades ago. 

It is however very important to understand and their state of mind. Sometimes, it is not about things but a host of emotions and memories associated with those possessions so these matters should be handled delicately and with empathy.

Having a clutter free home is a habit. Once you enjoy the physical and mental freedom and pride that accompanies a clutter-free living, you will find yourself making the extra effort to ensure that your home remains that way.

Get Things Done

Where does the whole day go? 

Almost every night, I seem to ask myself this question even after being up for almost 15-16 hours and doing something or the other nonstop all day long. Most of the time, I feel that 24 hours in a day are just not enough to pack in all the activities that demand our attention. At the end of the day, I may feel tired physically but mentally I am still stressed out about things that have not been done and are smirking at me from my daily To-Do list.

But after some soul searching and introspection, I realized that there are quite a few habits that waste our time and though we are busy doing something or the other all the time, we are really not getting important things done. Hence the list of daily chores does not seem to diminish and we feel unsatisfied with what we have accomplished during the past 24 hours.

If you feel you are in the same boat, read on to know the reasons and how to fix them.

1) Social media addiction: 

This is the biggest culprit when it comes to time guzzling. With friends and family members spread all over the world, most of us spend a lot of time on Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram checking messages, reading emails, watching videos, laughing at memes and then spending a lot of time answering them. Just the amount of time we spend on social media is bad enough, but what compounds the problem is that every beep and ping makes us check our smart phones, breaking the momentum of the work we are involved in and making it harder to re-start or concentrate. 

If you need to work on a project that demands your full attention, create a specified, uninterrupted time frame where you focus solely on the project at hand. Turn off phones and resist the urge to peek at your Whatsapp after every five minutes. You will be surprised how much more efficiently you can work.

2) Know what needs to be done today: 

Every day I start my day with a to-do- list. This has helped me a lot to focus on things that are necessary and cut the time wasting activities from my life. Right after breakfast; I make a to-do list that comprises of chores, tasks or assignments that need to be tackled. Doctor’s appointment, visit to the bank, parent-teacher meeting, cleaning the fridge or completing an article, making a list helps me to prioritize the activities that need immediate attention. The upside is that a lot more gets done as compared to starting your day in a haphazard way.

3) Unclutter your mind: 

Modern day life is very hectic and there are usually lots of things on our mind. Whether it’s an illness of a near and dear one or children’s grades in school, financial problems or a family feud, it is very hard to focus on work when our brain is occupied with unpleasant or negative thoughts. Though these things are harder to relegate to the back of the mind, you have to train yourself not to let them affect your office work or other areas of your life that demand your full concentration.

4) Be more organized when it comes to shopping: 

Once again making lists can make your life much easier when it comes to shopping, whether you are buying household groceries or clothes, shoes, medicines etc. I even write the names of shops I need to visit for my shopping so that I can plan my route and not waste time going from Point A to Point Z and later remember that I needed to go to Point S in between.

5) Don’t procrastinate: 

Most of us procrastinate when it comes to tackling a long, tedious chore or facing an unpleasant situation. But the more we delay, the bigger a hassle it becomes. Have a disorganized cupboard at home or over cluttered drawers or if your fridge needs a thorough cleaning, tax documents needs to be filled or files are to be organized, allot a day and time for your tasks. Have a firm deadline for getting it done. Remember “Someday” is not a day in any calendar. Also keep in mind the advantages of getting the chore done.

It is a sad reality that many of us do not value time. We waste it doing things that have no positive effect on our life. Instead of watching endless hours of TV entertainment or chatting on social media, this time can be spent on being productive or enhancing our personality by learning new skills. Read a good book, start a fitness goal, enroll yourself in an online class or start a freelance business. Cut out the unnecessary from your daily routines and get things done!