For you…from yours truly

One hour later, it would be one month down. Somehow, it feels like a long time ago, that I was caught up in the frenzy of the New Year celebrations.

Truth to tell, I feel kind of more “off the track” of late. I do feel happy and content in my surroundings but also (sigh!) a little bit restless.

Wonder why.

Flipping through the channels, (yes, I am finally sitting in front of the big screen!!) one thought that keeps on nagging my conscience is; its 2013 and you’re growing in no way younger; so what have you done so far? What have you promised to yourself?

Promise?!  To myself?! You’ve got to be kidding!!

Why? You have to give an assurance to yourself over something? Or are you not important to promise yourself something?!

No it’s not that; it’s just that there’s nothing much to promise myself. I have already made a list of resolutions.

No, I’m talking about “promise”. To give yourself what you really want. To take an undertaking or vow only for yourself.

I already have more blessings than I can count. So what do I want more?

Are your blessings making you too set in life? What about making those blessings into talents ? What about your dreams? Your dream to make a difference…

….. That’s what I am doing here….

Is that enough? Not the realistic dreams, but your dream to “live life” or are you falling into the good old comfortable routine?

We need routines and yes, I always tend to fall into one.

Then why are you restless? Or is it “dissatisfaction cloaked”? Or are you hiding from taking a chance? What happened to your “bucket list”?!!

My bucket list; there was one maybe five years ago; but no more.

Why not?

I don’t know !!

Then this what I have to say;

“We don’t have all the time in the world.

You need to live life for yourself; not selfishly but true to your inner voice and to your inner self.

A promise to; free yourself of the constraints of the day, and to just explore life.

To do what you want to do, to take chances and to make changes. 

Walk that extra mile, make a new path and if you feel like running, hike up your skirts and just run.

Yes, we do live in a society but do re-script the rules once a while; only for you to live life.

Some bridges may need to be burnt. In that case, burn them and find another way to crossover. But whatever it may be, take care not to lose your passion for life.

Just run with the wind once a while and breathe in what is there around you. 

All I am asking you, is to promise yourself to make your bucket list …

And in doing so…dream big, take small steps, jump a little, walk a new path, sail through un-chartered waters, run awhile, find life and most of all in doing so; find peace in your inner self ….

…Yours truly..

Who decides the morning ?

Have you ever seen the balance ? Or more appropriately put, “the scales of (what we all know as) justice” !! Unfortunately, justice as it often goes, seems kind of twisted in the common life. Blatantly, rather rephrase justice as “luck”.

Yes, there are some of us, those unlucky ones; who just happen to miss it all at that specific moment. And when we re-scrutinize and re-analyse the situation, ( thanks to our innate human nature!!), down go our shoulders and then officially consciously or unconsciously, we deem the day bad.

But that’s what life literally mocks at us for. For one after the other, the bad days come in a frenzy and we sink deeper into the dungeons of self misery. (Well, maybe the “dungeon” bit is an exaggeration, but in a way it’s true!!)

Troubles come and we end up being chased by them, when ideally we should take a fork-lift and turn it around. Sometimes, we ought to take a break while running, and look back, asking ourselves, isn’t it time to stop and pitch back !!

And it’s only when we realize that it’s us who decides the morning, we end up living our day to the fullest !!

 

Troubles come and we end up being chased by them, when ideally we should take a fork-lift and turn it around. Sometimes, we ought to take a break while running, and look back, asking ourselves, isn’t it time to stop and pitch back !!

And it’s only when we realize that it’s us who decides the morning, we end up living our day to the fullest !!

So what are we all waiting for ?!! Charge ahead and have a great week !!

 

It’s not only about the bit where the glass is half full…

 

Half full or half empty ?!! That’s the story of how positive thinking goes. The way you view a glass of level with the water at the mid-level (..i.e. the realistic view !!)

But today, I was wondering what happens when the glass suddenly just slips and breaks ….. Lucky or unlucky ?!! Bad omen ? I guess, that what happens most of the time, when we set out to do something and it feels that everything in the world, or rather everything that is happening around us, is going against us.

Well, at this point all I can say is, “Welcome to my world!! ”

Yes, things at this point looked like that, till I just sat and gave my thoughts their say. And eventually, this is what I believe….

“When you take a moment to acknowledge how far you’ve come and then look around you, and within yourself…you’ll  remember that you started with nothing, and know that everything that you have achieved so far, is what you have done with His Grace.

Yes, you can lose all feelings of self-worth, especially when something goes wrong in our world, which we deem is the most crucial to us.Yet, the truth is that if you have done it before, you can do it again, no matter what. 

As long as you feel the drive and the willingness to try again, you’re still alive. As long as you make mistakes, you’re still human. And as long as you keep trying, there’s still hope.

So, all I can say for now, is to never give up on yourself and never abandon your dreams.”

 

As for as signs go, yes I did get my coat splattered with mud, thanks to the heavy rains !!, en route for the grand presentation; but my presentation went better than what I hoped for.

And yes, I’m still in a race against time, but I guess I’ll manage shuffling between deadlines and relationships. Believe, the latter is what gets strained fast.

And even though, my plans aren’t going smooth, I guess, I’ll still manage.

After all, every mountain has an “up” and “down”. If there were only up’s, even the skies won’t be able to accommodate us. But a black hole might !!

I guess, the most important thing is not to be bitter over the disappointments. It’s too much to expect that everyday would be sunny. And it is when we get lost, in the darkness and despair; it’s only in the black of the night, that you can make out the stars, and then eventually they would be a light to lead us on.

So even when things go against us and the plans…. it’s worth to make mistakes, to stumble, to fall, because most of the time, the greatest rewards come when we do the things that scares us the most…the biggest risks, the big gamble. And someday. we’ll get everything more than we could ever have imagined.

For, who knows where life will take us? The road is long and in the end, the journey is the destination but when we stand still and waste our time in moroseness and all the “why me ?!!”; we would be getting nowhere.

So, run and get moving.

Have a happy week ahead !!

 

Try to catch one…

What do you do when all that comes to mind is…

“Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Never let it fade away

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Save it for a rainy day”

Courtesy to my next door kid who wanted to hear Perry Como’s lines over and over again, which is what got me thinking ( which is when some would ensure that the emergency numbers are at hand !!)….And so let’s talk about stars !!!

And this brings me to the big question, what would you do when you catch one? And the even bigger one, do you believe that you would get one ?

Consequently, this is what my pessimist side said…

“Catch a falling star ?!! What nonsense !! They are just asteroid like bodies that enter the earth’s atmosphere and then burn to bits..that’s what they are, rock…dust..ashes !! Beside when they fall they create craters too, real big ones!! And at the rate you spent looking up to catch one, you would end up slipping. Don’t tell me that I didn’t warn you ahead…!! Rainy days and dust..they all become muddy. And even if it’s a star, it’s so bright that it would burn your pocket and hand. Do me a favor and quit thinking, just don’t get me started on the nonsense of believing in silly stuff !!” .…There, one part of me got quashed !!

Then steps in my ever so bright side, the thoughts of the “hardly ever-present optimist”…

“Sure stars do exist and when you get one, don’t let go. Use it and save on it but don’t waste it nor miss it. Let its light burn, so bright so that it would make a difference in your life. Life has lots of falling stars ( here, Mr. pessimist snorts !!), try to catch, all of them or at least most of them.”…Great, I’m pepped up but directionless I feel..

Finally to the rescue, my realistic thoughts crowd over;

“Falling stars are beautiful. No, that would be an under-rated, they are actually spectacular. But the beauty lies in how you use it. And that depends on your purpose. On what you seek from life. On what you define your life to be. On till where you are willing to go, even if it means as far as your journey takes you. And that starlight of what’s left is more than just for a rainy day. It’s for you to brighten it and pass the light. You may not always be able to do that, but when ever you can you must.

The best part being, to lessen your dark days with the star-dust that you have in your pocket. Most important, look up once a while for the stars but don’t forget to look ahead and behind too. Use the stars and the star light to guide you. And when you catch a falling star…smile, use it and treasure it.”….

And that is the what the most practical and realistic side of me says…

So, what do you think of “falling stars” ?! And most of all, do you believe in them ?!! What would you do with your star-dust – save it or use it, or a bit of both ?!

 

Echoes of the Apple’s co-founder

Each one has been given a chance in life.

It’s up to us to make a decision to grab it.

To grab the chance and make it happen.

To think different.

To explore.

The will and courage to make a change.

To dream big and to make the dream true.

And most important of all is to not lose hope, even when pitfalls come on the way.

And that is what life says through its legendary people.

Here are some of my favorite lines of the legendary Steve Jobs, his views on life and his experiences as he travelled the road…

“Almost everything–all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” – Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Address

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Think Different, narrated by Steve Jobs

It’s all about finding your dream and making it come true.

Making a difference will come along.

Live your dream.

 

 

 

 

 

What’s your pick ?!

Some days we get to make our own choices, but some days we don’t. Many a time, things may often go out of hand. But, like every coin there are at least two different ways, if not more, in which any problem can be faced, or any issue addressed. Sometimes, it seems futile.

Yet, at times when we look back, in effect everything happens for a reason. Each event of our life, each lesson that we learn and our experiences, all have their own say in the due course of the journey, as the events unfold.

But each time, the scales are more or less balanced. If one beam rises, the other falls. Yet, to crib or not, is our choice. As said, you can make the best of what you have got or you can throw it away to the wind and have regrets for the time lost.

A part of it lies in your hands. As often seen or rather experienced, once missed, the wind bringing it back again is a mere chance happening. The best course; take your chances, both losses and gains, in stride and with a smile. At least, may be that is a better alternative to whines and wasted hours.

What do you think ?

 

 

Constancy of change..

If anyone had asked me approximately eight months ago, where would I be and pat would be my reply, ” Home, where else?!” Well, here I am instead working in a rural area of India, instead of getting experience in my Alma mater.

This year has been one filled with eventful changes. Now, nearing the end of July, there is one thing I have realized from my experiences.

If there is any one thing constant in life, it’s change. Change is mostly unpredictable. And even if certain changes are expected, facing them in a predetermined manner or a prepared plan of action is near to impossible.Yet, changes are what makes us the person that we become. Changes are what defines our circumstances, and vice-versa. 

Circumstances are like a game of chess.It more or less, depends on the changes and  moves that you make especially when the dice is yours to roll. So essentially, the outcome is in a way determined on
how the changes are taken and opportunities used when possible. After all, a calm ocean is kind of a rare sight to see. It’s the waves that make it alive and breathtakingly stunning.

 

In the due course of “time”….

In the melee of the daily chaos and the eternal run against time, sometimes certain moments or rather certain situations, makes us feel that in the end everything is hopeless and pointless. I think that’s what psychologists’ term as the “crisis point”.

Well, whatever terminology it may be, it definitely is a crisis. It’s at these times, when I need a breather. Many a time, getting away is not feasible, even if it’s for a day. Sometimes, I wish that life was like a television screen. Why so? For, every now and then, especially when things go out of hand, we could press the “pause button” and rewind and hopefully rewrite the entire scenario. Well that’s just wishful thinking on my part, I guess.

Essentially, what is needed in those moments is to give time a chance to run its due course. Time often tells us subtly to just have a little amount of patience (which is even rarer than kryptonite!!) and not to lose hope. To give time a chance to take it’s allotted twists and turns. To stop cribbing and take action. But alas, human nature deems that we naturally first fret, crib and complain, and at the end, go into the action mode. As what time often tells us:

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to be pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up;

A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8”

Hope, faith and patience. That’s what brings sanity back to normal. What life teaches us, though in its due course of time is that, everything happens for a reason, in a pattern and in an order which exists in spite of all the chaos that runs across the universe.

Yet, what the fickle human mind needs to understand is to keep the hope and keep on striving. Time will run its course and at the end, come what may, everything will fall in its own place. All time says is not to slacken, not to lose hope, to keep the faith and not lose focus. Let the journey go on.

Few realizations about the “unexpected”….

There used to be this common phrase echoed throughout my childhood, “to always be ready to face the unexpected.” Surprising though in fact, when you consider that unexpected is something that you are totally unprepared for. How then can you face it?!

And Gran’s view that, “Everything happens for a reason. You just do your bit and sop standing there and wondering. Life goes on and time won’t wait.”

There are many days that I often wonder why did it have to happen like this? What if I had chosen to say to “no”, would this sequence of events would have entailed so, in this manner. That’s what I guess most of us do.

When something out of the way happens, first is the emotion of disbelief, no it’s not true. Maybe you have heard it wrong. Maybe it was not meant to be for us. May be there is another person similar by name and age.

Then is the next stage of shock. Or rather denial, why did it happen to me? Ironic fact is that, news is always easier to digest as long as we are not the victim. Somehow, good or bad, when it happens in the unexpected manner, we are bound to deny it first. Even if someone, said I won the state lottery, I would first be in shock. And it would lead to me checking the numbers an ‘n’ number of times, fervently praying that I am not the victim of some prank.

And then finally, we accept the news. The trend which I have noticed, good or most often the bad, any news that comes out of the blue, takes us by surprise. Which is quite a genuine reaction, considering the fact that, the news was not an expected one. But what I feel is more important, is how we react to it, or rather how we deal with it, which influences the outcome of the “news”.

Fair or unfair, certain times of life feels like, I’m in the “lucky dip”. Sometimes, life gives you the same option twice; sometimes it gives you an entirely new opportunity. Most of the time, we miss the latter, ‘cause we are still grieving for the one chance that went by. What I have seen, or rather experienced is that what is gone, is gone. What has happened has happened. You can’t change back the hands of time. In that case, most of us would have been living in that same year. When something happens, that we absolutely have no control over, it’s better to live through it and make the best of what we have got in our hands.

For someday, everything will make perfect sense. About why it happened so, was it worth it and more importantly, the answer to the
question, why me. Till that moment arrives, for now, live the moments. Laugh whenever you can, through the confusion, the tears, and even the surprises. Smile for the pure joy of the moments. Not only for the sake of baring your teeth (though at times, that’s what is necessary), but smile from within. For the pure happiness of the moments. And once in a while, keep reminding ourselves that everything happens for a reason.

For by the time we reach the end of the road, the final phase, the answers will start coming. Realizations dawning on us. Though, it shouldn’t be too late, so as to miss the best parts of the journey, what it has to teach us and share with us.