Archives

Greenlight for change

The passing of the UPFA Government's maiden budget by a majority of 34 votes, while being a victory for the Government in its efforts to conduct an all-out war on underdevelopment, is also a greenlight for the launching of a comparatively different growth path.

Why a comparatively different growth path, one may question. This is mainly because the efforts at taking the country out of the economic doldrums by successive governments since 1977 had been modelled on an economic growth paradigm or model which was too externally-oriented and depended considerably on international financial institutions for guidelines on national development.

The result, as could be seen, is deeper ensnarement in the trap of dependency, poverty and deprivation. Poverty, in Sri Lanka is so great today that an overwhelming number of its citizens are dependent on Government financial and material assistance for their survival. We are referring here to Samurdhi recipients who live virtually on a Government dole and needless to say, this is no honourable existence. The ideal should be to make every person in this country self-reliant and economically, physically and mentally strong and we hope a beginning could now be made to achieve this hitherto elusive aim.

However, the budget proposals this year have been based on a vastly different development paradigm to those which have been adopted over the past 25 years.

As Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama has explained, this is a 'home-grown' budget which aims at finding answers to our problems on the basis of our practical knowledge of local realities and on the basis of, primarily, indigenous resources and strength. This dimension in the budget is itself a noteworthy change because we very badly need to depend on Lankan expertise for answers to all our problems. We hope a beginning will now be made to end our almost slavish dependence on 'things foreign', including those relating to the realm of thought and perception.

Stop stress

Stress is part and parcel of modern life. We are all participants in a rat race with no clear winners. We live in a 24/7 environment as a result of our desire to outdo the next man, the colleague, the neighbour. There is little or no time to relax, to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Work is life for many.

The net result of this hectic lifestyle is a disease-filled life. Heart attacks, mental disorders and many other physical and mental afflictions arise from stress. It may even cut short our very lives. We must dissipate this stress and reduce the burden on our overworked brains.

A spanish company has come up with a novel idea to fulfil this objective. For just 40 euros, Spaniards can take out their frustrations on modern life's pernicious irritants like cars, computers, mobile phones and of course, photos of the boss.

The place is a junkyard in Lubia, 160 km northeast of Madrid. It provides sledgehammers, helmets, overalls, goggles and heavy metal music for so-called "damage-therapy" sessions organised by a group known as "Stopstress". All you do is bring the object that irritates and increases your stress and then bang it to oblivion. Bash the boss? Crush that ever-crashing computer? Blow the mobile to pieces? It can all be done here. Customers can spend up to two hours attacking what they hate, but no one has sustained their ire for more than 30 minutes, according to Stopstress. Most of us unfortunately tend to keep the stress and strain bottled-up, so to speak.

There is no chance to let it out, lest we fall behind in the race to get ahead. The Spanish group's initiative is certainly a novel one. The method may not work all the time, but it does show us that it is important to let the stress out of our system.

That said, there are far less violent and much easier ways to achieve the same goal. The best approach is to take life as it comes. Do not think of the office or work as your 'life'. Revel in some office gossip - it is good for your health.

Listen to some soothing music while working, if possible. Experts now recommend short 'power-naps' to rejuvenate your brain cells. Get away from that file or computer from time to time, and think of something else. And don't take your work home by any chance.

At home, engage the family in some lively conversation. Watch the telly or a good movie on DVD, listen to the music of your choice or read an interesting book, one that has nothing to do with your job. It is also important to spend some quality time alone. Enjoying a holiday, travelling, retail therapy - all these can help. As for objects like mobile phones, we can learn to live without them at least once in a while. Leave the car behind and walk to the junction for shopping. It can do a world of good.

In short, we do not have to live dangerously. Nothing is as serious as it seems to be. Live your life to the full, enjoy every moment of it. Life may not be kind to us, but we can be kind to life!

www.crescat.com

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager