“All programming is maintenance programming because you are rarely writing original code.” (Dave Thomas)
As we come to the end of January 2022, let us take a retrospective and sincere look at how we have spent the first precious month of the year. We all know that life is actually a combination of minutes, what we call ‘time’. The preciousness and irrevocable value of time is what makes life valuable. A life that is directed by a Vision, Mission, and Values bring meaningful existence. The next important thing is to set right past programming we all have received (willing or forced upon) towards a progressive pathway.
Appreciating the good programming we have received will make us grateful. Identifying any trace of faulty programming we have acquired will enable us to overcome them and seek better paths towards progress. Removing faulty programming is not a one-time exercise but a continuous process for lifetime. Identification of faulty programming takes us to design ways and means to treat the maladies of life. Why do you choose the colour of clothes, choose hotels for dining, choose your picnic spot to relax, select your phone brand or Apps to install on your phones? These are done because you want to decide for yourself. In simple terms, you want to programme your life according to your wish or in the best way you think it should be. You are programming yourself in many ways already. But when it comes to thinking and living your precious life – Why do you generously allow others to programme your life? Why are you so much affected by others’ negative talks about you (if you are not in the wrong spot)? Why do you believe the words spoken by others as so genuine and your conscience is not so true? In simple words, why do you want someone to ruin you?
Many faulty programming that we have received in life is threatening our personal growth. They negatively influence us for the worse. They make us shy. They make us cowards. They slow down our pace. They consume our time and blur our vision. They are parasites eating up our energy. They need to be uprooted and replaced with positive programming for healthier mental life and faster growth. Therefore, we need to set up our own goals for life and stop accepting those faulty programmes injected by others.
No single community, tribe, language or civilization is good enough to impart the perfect kind of programming an individual requires. But the beauty of the twenty-first century is that we can imbibe good things (evil things too) from others. This is a blessing indeed. There is always a room to improve and grow. The world is just a global village and each of us are global citizens living in our local areas. Let us move from ‘mere acceptance of the faulty programming’ to ‘judiciously sieve what is good and helpful for growth’. Life is in your hands. You can make the change if you decide to do it.
Resolve today: I shall remove the faulty programming I have received; I shall remove them one by one, day after day; I shall programme my life with the help of elders and experts; I don’t want to be programmed by others when I can programme my SELF.
The author is a PhD research scholar, Department of Sociology and Social Work, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Email: [email protected]
