Peekaboo and A-not-B error – Don’t worry when your desire is not fulfilled

Sairam friends,

My Parents used to tell me that after they bath my Sister’s little daughter Katya, she used to play Peekaboo with them…Like hiding face and then showing up. Now Katya is grown up –  6 years old and as I desired, she loves reading books a lot. The other day my sister has taken her to a Library where Katya has asked the Librarian for books telling Authors name. Even the Librarian was surprised.

Couple of weeks back, we saw Katya online and she read few pages from a Book for us. She can also remember the story. She asked me “When can I meet you”. I don’t know what to say as she calls me with lots of love. ( I never desired to go abroad and I can’t leave my parents alone. )

In India, we must help kids to fall in love with “Reading”. It really is a missing factor in most of our families.

Anyway, The fact the Katya likes to play Peekaboo when she was a child, made me feel happy when I saw below video. You know, I love Parrots a lot. This parrots name is Cody and her Care taker has trained her very well to do Peekaboo.

Click here to see – Parrot talking, laughing and playing peekaboo in youtube

Copy right of the video and photos courtesy of the people displayed.

Now see how the Parrot turns back suddenly saying “Peekaboo”

Hope you like this friends.

I want you to be happy watching this video. I also realized few things and wanted to share with you.

Peekaboo is played to babies and kids around the world, in every culture. We just use different words in our language.

According to Wikipedia – Peekaboo is thought by developmental psychologists to demonstrate an infant’s inability to understand object permanence.Object permanence is an important stage of cognitive development for infants.  A lack of Object Permanence can lead to A-not-B errors, where children reach for a thing at a place where it should not be.

What is A-not-B error?

A-not-B error is proposed by Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher Jean Piaget in his theory of cognitive development of children.

Its simple experiment.

Lets say you hide a toy under Box A and keep it in to be easily reached by the baby. The baby goes to the Box A and takes out the toy. Its repeated few times.

There’s another Box B near the Baby. We keep the Toy under Box B while the Baby is watching as we hide it. They baby knows we kept the Toy under the Box B. This is also near the child but it goes to Box A to search for the Toy.This demonstrates a lack of, or incomplete, schema of object permanence. Children of 12 months or older typically do not make this error.

When I read about A-not-B error, I actually try to relate it to the way some people behave when they ruin their life searching for peace and happiness in a place where there is nothing.

Example:

1. Once every few days, Girls mail me saying that they loved someone dearly.

“I loved him so much. We were too close” and usual reason for seperation will be “Now the guy likes another girl, he cheated me, His parents won’t allow us to get married etc”.

For years, I have been looking at such stories and some girls are smart enough to come out of it. If you ask me if there’s a pooja to get back the guy, I wish to take the little stick that Saibaba carries and beat you nicely. I know your pains. Its not easy to forget someone but think if you are sheding tears for someone true. Even if the guy is really good, you must live strong and happy. You are here to do something useful. You have a big, beautiful life ahead.

Are you going to listen to me? If you really have clarity of mind, kindly use all the powers you have in you to choose a better life than worrying about past.

Many of you wanted to reach out for Box A where there is nothing. May be Sai has a better plans for you.

2. There can be various examples like this.
Some people mail me saying they want admission only in specific University or else it means Sai din’t help them. Please see  your interest in a subject/field and not where you learn.

3. Some people waste months/years with a specific career or business goal in mind. You must keep yourself flexible to try other options. Keep focussing on one thing but to earn your living honestly, you must try all good opportunities.

Many of us think that we are matured and grown up. We believe that we are deciding what’s good for our life. We may not always be right. In some issues and situation, we might also search for something in a place where it doesn’t exist at all.

Box A is your stubborn desire

and

Box B is Sai’s good plan for you.

You must not be stubborn in your goals, needs, expectations and desires. Be confident that where ever you go and what ever you do, Sai will be with you and Sai will show you the right way.

Even if you are not a Sai devotee, I request you to simply believe in yourself and see life with a fresh mind set.
The moral of the story is “Do not stick to your desires”

Don’t worry when your desire is not fulfilled

I wrote this article because I am fed up when people write me that they are not able to live in peace. Look at me for instance. I have failed many times in what ever I desire. I have been insulted, humiliated and gone through some of the worst situations when ever I believed Sai will fulfill my desire. I continue to serve Saibaba. I too have times when I get upset but I believe Sai has something in Box B for me.

Even today, I went to Saibaba temple, got down the hot Dhuni tank where there Sacred fire of Sai burns and was wiping the hot ashes. I loved it so much. I love shouting “Saibaba..Sai..Sai” when I do it.

Learn to accept life as it comes. I know life is very different, boring and painful but hold on…You are going to Smile someday.

Peekaboo!

Sai certainly has a  surprise for you.

Venkat

Little Servant of Shirdi Saibaba