Perceptual Glares

We might be the most intellectual living creatures on this planet but astonishingly we know very little about our own self. How would you react if I told you that, you see what you want to see from the perceptual glares on your eyes.

Let me narrate to you an interesting story of two young men. After you read this story ONLY once. Please tell me, who is the worst and the best character in the story and your reasons for it.

One fine day, a young boy named Traven was traveling through a nearby village, looking for a suitable work opportunity for himself. Traven loved to paint human portraits and soon realized that he would want to pursue his passion for the art as a career to become a professional artist. To realize his dream, he decided to explore newer pastures and explore newer places, because the people in his village seldom appreciated his expression of art. While he was walking down the dust-filled streets of  this village, he happened to meet his old friend and class fellow Alex.

Traven knew Alex since the age of 10. They both were the best of friends in their childhood. They would share their food every day and discuss their dreams every evening by the lake side. They were both very naughty ; However, Alex always managed to come out clean of all their mischief. Poor Traven would always have to bear the brunt of the teachers alone. But Traven never mentioned Alex's name in front of the teachers, as Alex was very dear to him.

Though Traven was raised in wealthy family. He had an uncanny habit of stealing. He would get reprimanded for stealing but that wouldn't stop him. His habit of stealing was despised by all and so he could never stay friends with anyone for long. But, Alex was an exception. Alex understood his cravings and knew that his habit was harmless as Traven wasn't a thief just a pickpocket, who would eventually give back the things he stole. Traven enjoyed painting but never enjoyed studying at school. He only wanted to have fun. Whatever provided him with any excitement, he pursued that, without thinking of its consequences. Traven could never distinguish right from wrong, because he didn't define that in his life. He believed that nothing in life should be just one colour, so he never painted anything black or white completely ; his life had grays. Traven was fair and well built. He had unruly hair and his mustaches extended from his upper lip to his chin.  He was one of the handsome men of his village but he never married anyone because he didn't believe in the institution called "marriage". Traven was unconventional in his choices, free in his mind and radical in his thoughts. He could never understand how anyone can live their entire life with just one person. The thought scared him to the core because he enjoyed his freedom to love. Maybe that is why he could never be in any relationship for more than a few months but he never regretted that.

Alex was a slow learner back in school but it was only a matter of a few years that he developed focus and business acumen in his area of interest. Today, Alex had become a well known businessman. Alex, was raised in a middle class family but now he led an extravagant lifestyle. He owned the best of the cars in class and pampered himself with all the luxuries of a king-style lifestyle. Alex had a big mansion and was happily married to a beautiful lady named Seira. He fell in love with Seira since the time he saw her and convinced her parents to keep her happy forever. Alex married Seira 5 years ago. They now have a daughter named Aalia, who is a fair and chubby kid with a lovely dimpled smile. Alex's company - "Alinor Enterprises", had quadrupled their profits since the last year. They were a truly motivated group of young men and women, working hard to achieve Alex's vision. Alex, was highly ambitious and intrinsically motivated, which is why he achieved so much, so early in life.

Traven was really excited to meet Alex after almost 15 years. Both were happily surprised at this co-incidence and greeted each other with a warm embrace. Both of them went to the nearby cafe and decided to have their favorite coffee. Alex was dressed in a white linen shirt and brown trousers, ironed to perfection. Traven on the other hand was dressed in a check T-shirt, with paint marks on his cuffs, and white trousers, with dirt speckles on the bottom of the trousers. Traven had not washed that trouser for 2 weeks now because his demanding work schedule didn't give him a chance to wash his dirty linen. Moreover, Traven didn't care, he had always been casual about his dressing sense.  Also, being an artist, he came from a school of thought that looks didn't matter, what mattered was the creative ability.

Traven and Alex sat there for hours and discussed endlessly their childhood stories. Both, laughed their guts out while discussing their antics in school. After, a long chat, Alex invited Traven over for dinner. Traven agreed to the invitation. Traven was astonished at how prosperous Alex had become over time when he entered his new car and then his new home. Traven thought to himself ," O boy ! Alex's house is really like a magnificent palace !". Traven liked the antique articles in his lobby so much that he couldn't resist stealing one  small rare pearl flower. Though, he would never feel this way before but he did feel guilty of stealing in Alex's house. Alex had an eye for art and so he had bought this expensive article from a far off coast. The moment Alex saw Traven pick pocketing the article, he understood that his old habits of stealing still exist. Alex didn't want to embarrass Traven in front of his wife, so he just let go of this issue. Alex introduced Seira and Aalia to Traven, after which they all sat down to have dinner together. Seira was looking beautiful; Traven couldn't help looking at her time and again. Seira now noticed him looking at her uninterrupted and she decided to ignore him. The looks were now starting to make her uncomfortable but she didn't know what to do. Alex sensed the discomfort in the environment and told Seira to take Aalia to their bedroom to put her off to sleep. Meanwhile, Alex was telling interesting stories to Traven about Aalia's uncanny ways of seeking attention from all. Traven was happy to respond to his stories. After dinner, Traven told Alex about his new project and why he had traveled so far. Alex was happy to help Traven. Alex decided to fund a few of his art project for his new office. Traven was really happy to receive help from his close friend. Traven now started to work on those projects with all his heart.

A few weeks later, Alex had to go for international travel for a couple of weeks and so he called his old uncle, Mr. Mathew, over to his house to take care of Seira and Aalia while he was away. Meanwhile, Traven had also nearly completed his art projects. Traven frequently paid visits to Alex's house to play with Aalia, who was a very playful child.  They both shared a lovely rapport. Alex on the other hand was not quite appreciative of Traven's visits to his house but seeing that Aalia was really fond of Traven's magic tricks, Alex never expressed resentment over his visits.

One fine evening at 8:00pm, when Mr. Mathew, Seira and Aalia were all seated at the dining table, the house's burglar alarm went off. Mr. Mathew, an old and wise man, suggested Seira to quickly take Aalia to her bedroom, while he set out to see if everything was fine or not.  Someone had entered the house and was trying to enter Seira's bedroom. Seira was petrified ! The man seemed young but had his face covered with a white cloth. He was armed with a knife but it seemed that he had no intention to steal. He went straight away to Seira, looked her in the eye, and asked her to give Aalia to her. Seira pleaded that she would not give Aalia to him. He put the knife around her throat and gave her an ultimatum to stop throwing tantrums and hand over Aalia to him. Seira begged him not to take Aalia and offered to be kidnapped instead. The kidnapper agreed to that on the condition that she will also have to sleep with him. Seira couldn't understand what was going on and so she shouted out loud calling Mr. Mathew. Mr. Mathew had been inspecting outside and in the basement, of a potential breach of security but had no idea that the kidnapper had already entered Seira's bedroom. The moment he heard Seira's loud cry, he rushed towards her bedroom only to find the kidnapper with a knife around Seira's neck. Mr. Mathew was too old to attack the kidnapper and so he stood still with his arms raised upwards. The kidnapper now started snatching Aalia from Seira's hands. Seira asked Mr. Mathew what should she do ?? Mr. Mathew replied, " Daughter whatever decision you take will be for the good of all". Seira, instantly offered herself to the kidnapper. The kidnapper warned Mr. Mathew of informing the police or else Seira's life would be in danger. Mr. Mathew agreed to be silent.

Hours later, Alex got a call asking for ransom to save his dear wife Seira. Alex called his home and Mr. Mathew told him the entire story. Alex was in a state of shock ! He didn't know what to do. He agreed to the kidnapper's condition of providing him with the money the kidnapper asked for. Alex kept the money in the nearest letter post office box as instructed by the kidnapper. Meanwhile, Alex called Traven over and told him what had happened. Traven sympathized with Alex over the incident and advised Alex to keep his calm. Later in the day, someone knocked at the door incessantly. Alex jumped out of his seat and quickly moved towards the door. He slightly opened the door, to catch a glimpse of who it was. It was Seira, she was panting and crying. Alex opened the door and Seira rushed in to his arms. Alex thanked God that Seira was safe and hugged her tightly. Traven watched the two hug dispassionately. Seira told Alex everything but soon Alex started to feel really uneasy. He was happy to see that she was safe but he felt uncomfortable knowing that Seira slept with another guy. He couldn't help but imagine how she could have at least tried to escape before giving in to the kidnapper's fantasies. He thought to himself, " She didn't even try to escape. But why ?". He decided to ask Mr. Mathew in detail of what had happened. Mr. Mathew narrated the entire incidence yet again. Alex told  Mr. Mathew of what was going on in his mind and asked him what he must do. Mr. Mathew replied, " Son, whatever decision you take will be good for all". Alex gave him a silent nod and moved back to his room.

In the afternoon, after Seira woke up from her sleep, Alex told Seira how he felt from inside. He told her that he wouldn't be able to love her again the way he used to. Seira felt disgusted and ran to the other room where Aalia was playing with Traven. Seira told Traven what Alex had told her. She asked him what was her fault ? Traven got up and hugged the distressed Seira, telling her that he would stand by her side and be with her forever. Seira thought to herself, " May be all that happened was for the best". The very next instant Alex entered the room, and saw his wife hugging Traven. Traven looked at Alex and gave him a smirk.

Now, rank in order of preference, who is the best and the worst characters in this story and state your reasons for it.
 
Once, you do that, you will appreciate the fact that we all look at the world through our own perceptual glares. Sometimes, we are only able to see what we have been thinking for so long, because our perspectives are colored with what we believe, feel, see, experience, our value system, etc. These colored perspectives are responsible for forming your perspectives on certain issues. What I am trying to convey is that for the same story many of you will have divergent perspectives because of who we are and these perspectives may or may not be in line with the facts. Yet, each perspective is important and correct for the person who is giving it. Therefore, its important to value each person's perspective as he/she may see the world in a different colour all together and they may be right in their own ways.

I believe that life will certainly be more interesting and uncluttered when we see the world as it is, rather than with a colored perspective :)

Being Humble

"I believe that the first test of a great man is his humility. I don't mean by humility, doubt of his power. But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not of them , but through them. And they see something divine in every other man and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful." - John Ruskin

It happens so often in our everyday life - that we, in the glorious perceptions of our dignified lives, forget to acknowledge others and the efforts that they put in our lives to make it better. We don't realize the worth of anyone else around us or relate to any of their dreams. We simply live our lives like a rodent running on a circular treadmill.  Today, all of us are so engrossed in our own work, work-related tensions, families, and health issues that no one has the time to listen to what anyone else has on his/her mind. We are living our lives like robots. In defense of all that I have said above, let me run you through your day yesterday. Answer the following questions - Did someone cook food for you ? Did someone wash your dirty utensils ? Did someone drive you to your office ? Did someone iron your clothes ? If yes then, did you, even for a second, feel thankful or blessed ? Did you immediately respond to the favor with nice words ? If no, then why not ?

Humans, very often, while climbing the ladder of success, use services of many and then just forget to return the favor with kind words. It is as if they have bought everything they possibly have with money ! But that is not how it should be.

It is a well known fact that nature in most of its activities, follows the normal distribution curve. That is also how everyone's life fluctuates in this world; exactly like a normal distribution curve, which has a crest (highest point) and two troughs (lowest point). This essentially means that everyone is obliged to get their highs and lows in their lifetime. What might be your high may be someone else's low, but that doesn't deter their ability to make it big in their lifetimes, when the tides of time and the winds of wisdom are both in their stride. Therefore, it becomes a moral responsibility of those in their highs to help those in their lows, so that they can remember you for all the goodness of your heart and the humbleness of your nature, long after you are gone.

Everyone, desires to be great. They strive to be respected, loved and cared by all. That is the sole reason they work so hard everyday of their lives, isn't it ? Now, what is most important to understand, in this context is- 'what differentiates the great human beings from the good human beings' ?

There is an age old saying - The tree bearing the most fruits is the one which bends the most and survives the winds. This proverb is a great learning insight for all. People who stand tall in their false ego and pride, fall flat when the harsh winds of time blow rampantly; and the ones who bear the fruits of wisdom, prosper their goodness with humility.
Humility is the most under-rated virtue in today's age. In my view it is humility that is a litmus test to know the great from the good.
We, as a society, attach utmost importance and bestow instant gratification to what meets the eye - the pompous, the flashy and the flamboyant. But surprisingly, when in trouble, would you want to go to someone  who is arrogant, unhelpful and conceited with his false pride ? Absolutely never. So, why become someone whom you would never want to meet ?

You may be the best in whatever it is that you are doing, but you must never lose the grip of the ground in your pursuit of the sky, never undermine anyone's talent, never indulge in an ego trip, and never be unhelpful to others because what may be yours today will be someone else's tomorrow. Lets try being humble and experience true happiness, wisdom and pleasure. Your acts of humility have the power to change lives !

Being  HUMBLE is the biggest lesson of life. 

Simplified

Not many of us realize how simple life is. We invest so much time thinking about either the future or the past that we forget what life has to offer us right here and right now.

Let me tell you a story. Once there was a King, in a far far away land. He was strong and mighty. He had an army of thousands of soldiers. His soldiers were his greatest strength. He won all wars he had ever fought in his lifetime. Some people said that he won because he was the most disciplined leader, some said that he had the charisma to inspire his men, some thought it was because it was in his fate and the others thought because he honored his word. However, lately the king started to face some problems in his sleep routine. He couldn't sleep well at night. Something disturbed him. He complained to his Royal Priest that he was losing all battles in his dreams. His priest was extremely clever. He realized soon enough that King was unable to sleep as he couldn't concentrate over what he had and was obsessed with thinking of new battles to conquer newer pastures. So, he suggested a remedy to the King. He asked the King to do the following task at 4 am tomorrow. He asked the King to keep his eyes fixed at a target 10 meters away from him, while walking a muddy path. The King was anxious to know how this would help achieve a peaceful sleep and kept tossing in the bed all night. At sharp 4 am, royal guards knocked at the King's door to see the King ready for the activity. He came down to his central kingdom ground. It was summers then so the morning sun was just about to rise. The sky was glowing in beautiful orange hues. The priest asked the king to start. The King started walking the muddy path, while reminding himself that he had to keep his eyes glued to the target or else he would have to do this all over again tomorrow at 4 am. The initial few steps that the King took were with a lot of caution but gradually  his confidence got built and he started walking the path a little faster. The King couldn't help thinking about the time when he would reach the target. He was so engrossed in thinking about the future that he didn't realize that his right foot got stuck in a puddle. Now, for a minute, he looked at his stuck feet, which now was fully immersed in the mud and figured out how he would get out from this mess. He gently shoved off the slimy mud in excess to continue walking. But, soon he realized that his target was nowhere in sight. He looked at the Priest inquisitively but the Priest looked as calm as ever. He then realized that because he didn't do the exercise as instructed, the Priest would have him do it again tomorrow morning 4am. He couldn't again sleep that night. His failure to keep sight of his target was worrying him. The king had never lost before. It was a huge blow for him. However, he was even more determined now to not lose focus on the target. He was waiting for the dawn to break. The Royal guards were waiting outside the door at 4am. The King quickly moved out of the royal door to rush his way to the royal ground where the priest was already waiting for him. The King bowed to the Priest in respect before starting; the Priest gave a gentle smile. The King began walking once again, with his eyes affix at the target. This time he was more cautious of every step that he took. He walked slow but never lost sight of the target. But he was constantly reminded of his failure yesterday and at every step, was apprehensive that he would eventually get stuck again in the same puddle. He was worried, so he paced down drastically when he thought that he would approach that puddle. He walked a little to the left to avoid that puddle, looking straight at the target. His right leg was just about to slip in the puddle but because he was slow, he managed to maintain his balance.   He was relieved yet nervous. He marched ahead as he was in a hurry to finish his task. After three quick steps, he tripped over a small stone and fell over his face on the ground. All his guards rushed towards him to help him. He got up with their help but he knew that the target would not be there as he was unsuccessful once again to keep his eyes on the target at all times.
The King was dejected and hurt. He summoned the Priest to his royal chamber in the evening. The King asked why he couldn't do this simple task, when he had won so many difficult battles before. The Priest smiled and told him that the answer to his question was there in his mind. The King was perplexed, he didn't know what the Priest wanted to convey. The Priest smiled and then said " King you have won many battles in the battle field because you didn't allow your mind to wander. Today, you are fighting a war with your own mind.". The King requested the Priest to explain why he couldn't focus his mind to the target. The Priest explained both the instances. He said " My dear King, when you were walking the path for the first time, your mind was only fixed at the target. You didn't realize that there would be hurdles in your path, which is why you were pacing your steps on an unknown path. Your mind was wandering in the future, you were busy thinking about how you would get some good sleep after this simple activity. You were not alert about your present surroundings." The King nodded in approval but asked the Priest why he lost the second time. He told the Priest that he was not thinking about the future then. The Priest answered- " Yes, you are right. In the second time that you undertook this activity, you were not thinking of the future. But, you were thinking of your previous experience. You were worried about what happened to you last time should not happen to you again. You kept dwelling on your past and in nervousness did not anticipate the stone in the path, which is why you tripped." The King understood what the Priest wanted to teach him and bent before him in honor. The Priest had given the King the answer to his questions. That night, before sleeping, the King wrote a page in his Diary.

The King wrote-
1. Keeping your eyes on the target at all times is important but what is most important is to live in the present.
2. Problems are bound to come but don't let one bad experience ruin your confidence in yourself
3. Walking slow enables you to keep your balance in life
4. Never take for granted what is going to come ahead
5. Worrying about the past or the future doesn't let me sleep !

That night, the King rest peacefully. He realized that he must not waste time worrying about the past or the future. It is only this moment which is the most precious to him. 

What do you love ?

When do you realize that you are not doing justice to yourself ? When do you realize that this is exactly how you never wanted to see yourself ? This soul stirring realization comes with just one question - do you love what you are doing ? If the answer to this is a positive then you must be one of the few lucky people on this planet. However, if the answer to this is in a negative, then you can be very sure that you are not doing justice to your innate creative abilities. So the question really is how much time per day would you like to spend on something that you love doing? The ideal answer should be 24 hours. If it is not that, its definitely not love at first sight for you. You may be one of those creative geniuses, who are ruining their life-time, back-counting work hours at office and waiting to get out of the corporate jungle only to spend some peaceful time at home with friends or family. If this be true, its about time you realized that this is not your calling in life. I am not advocating the philosophy of immediately bringing your life to a halt by abandoning all the work that you aren't 100% in love with, nor am I questioning your newly found talent of learning something new, the hard way ( hard enough for it to take ages for you to fall in love with what you are doing ). All I am saying is that, may be you are far better at something else, for which cause, you may be willing to dedicate your entire lifetime. And that may be its time for you to explore those unconscious corners of your mind, to know what you didn't know about yourself.

I am a staunch believer in the school of that, everyone is special and that everyone is gifted with some unique talent which is so innately precious to his/her own existence. Some people have amazing intellectual abilities, some are gifted with a penchant for art, some love the world of sports and some are gifted with strong will power. Nature never ceases to surprise us with her astonishing charisma and fascinate us with her ability to bestow each one of us with abilities so unique. Each person is so unique yet he belongs to a flock of his kind. Amazing isn't it ? So if you know that you are gifted, why would you want to waste the gift of nature in running forever through the maze of life in search of happiness, like a hungry little mouse running on a circular treadmill in pursuit of a hanging piece of cheese in front of his eyes. Why not spend that important time figuring out what you are best at and pursuing it further.

Innovation happens only when you are extremely passionate about what you do and drenched in love with it. The pre-requisite to this pursuit of innovation is to love what you are doing. People tell me that they get bored with things and so they have a tendency to switch or move on. This only goes to show that they haven't found this one thing that they would like to show strong commitment towards and that this fire of innovation in their bellies is yet to be ignited by doing something they truly love.

Some people discover their passions very early in their lives and some take a lifetime. The ones who fail to realize their true potential are the ones who gave up on their journey of self-exploration long back. Whereas, the ones who succeed in life are the ones who believe in themselves and that they are gifted with extra-ordinary powers, they are the ones who keep exploring, only to unearth limitless potential.

So how to find your special gift and your passion in life ?

Its simple, never give up on your journey of self-exploration, never give up on your self-belief and never ever give up on the pursuit of finding that one thing that you love so much that you can do all day long with a smile on your face. Always remember that you are never too young or too old to take the leap of faith and follow your intuition towards finding your gift. After all, you live just once !

Hope is REAL

There are times when you wish and conceal

When life is beautiful but that's not how it feels

When the world is running like a movie reel

When you want to fly high but your wings don't heal

That's when life smiles at you and you know that 'Hope is REAL'

The sun rises and shines; it glares at your face

When you are still dreaming while the world is awake

You know you want to fathom the world and its ways

Then you wake up and wear your dancing shoes

Show the world some spirited moves!

Then, I think you should then wear the colors of life

Some Florescent and yellows, some sparkling brights

To match this up, a vivacious smile will be ideal

Dear'o'Dear, Come what may, don't ever kneel

Don't give up Hope, 'cause 'Hope is REAL'

You may not have the answer to all the complexity

But ignorance is also a facile luxury

You can be the best of 'em all

You can be sure that all the pains will heal

Don't give up Hope, 'cause 'Hope is REAL'

Mom

I am falling short of words because my words are not enough, to tell you how indebted I am to you! I can vividly imagine your first touch. The first ever touch of life for me.

Mother, you are the reason for my existence, the reason for all the goodness I have, the reason for all that I am today!

You nurtured me for years together, in your shadow, loved me like no one ever could, gave me everything I ever wished for, made life so beautiful for me. With you life looked so easy, so simple, so wonderful. Never did I realize that, in this journey called life, there always were rough patches and bad times, in all of which, you protected me and made me feel safe. Little did I ever realize that while you walked on thorns, you carried me through the difficulty and protected me in your gentle arms. I felt safe in your arms.

I was always naive, I didn't know what this world was all about; You taught me right from wrong and good from bad. You were my custodian, my parent, my teacher, my guide, my friend, my GOD!

You were the rhythm of my poems, the melody of my songs, the words of my wisdom, the inspiration behind my thoughts. Your touch was that of an angel, the warmth of which lighted up my life, the tenderness of which made me give my first ever smile. I was really fortunate to get a mother like you, who dedicated her life to giving me all the love and care in the world. Someone, who sacrificed all the laurels of the world for my innocent smile. Someone to whom being a parent was not just a 'part of life' but essentially the very 'meaning of life'.

Your words have always inspired me and guided me in the right direction. Your silence taught me so much more than what you said. Your eyes spoke volumes about how proud you were to have me, even with all the faults I have. Your hand on my hand, said that you would be there with me in the ups and downs of life. Your hug bestowed on me the powers to face the world's challenges every single day without giving up. Your touch energized my mind, body and soul.

You are and will always be my inspiration, my role model, my God!

Dream to Happiness

I thought about, how life becomes so beautiful, when you dream about all the good things that will happen to you in the future. Its an amazing phenomena! You forget all the bad and you keep dreaming of the happy days ahead. These lovely dreams instill in you the belief that everything is going great and that tomorrow will be even more beautiful than today. Isn't that what you have always wanted ? Isn't happiness what we all seek in life ? If I could only dream of all the things I ever wanted and imagine the glory of the times when I achieved those things, I would definitely re-instate my self belief . I would be the happiest !

The world starts to become so much more lively, your problems definitely take a back seat when you dream about the good which is going to come in your life. These moments make you realize that your life is precious and that its filled with moments you want to cherish forever.

I may sound like an idealist when I say dream about all the comforts when you are in pain and about all the happiness when you are sad inside, but I say it only because I have experienced the change myself. I have realized that once you cling on to a bad thought and you carry it day in and day out, you end up being really sad thinking about how your future will be considering how bad it is today. It is this negativity that breeds detrimental consequences in the future, because you conceptualize(a.k.a. Dream) your future to be dark and gloomy. These unfortunate thoughts transcend to your subconscious and stay there for long. You imagine the worst and needless to say, you experience the worst too.

Future is how you see it. If you think you will have a miserable life then be prepared for life to say 'Amen' and if you think you are going to be the happiest person on earth, so it shall be !

You see, it all depends upon how you see yourself in the future. If you think, you can. There are no 'ifs' no 'buts' in life and in dreams. I quote Warren Buffet, " I always knew I was going to be rich..I don't think I ever doubted it for a minute".

Moral of the story is when you feel dejected and sad about your present circumstances and future prospects, take a step forward to unleash the creativity in you, to dream about a beautiful picture of you in the times to come and experience the magic of self belief.

"You make your own script of life "

Let the ship sail...

They will stop my marching feet,
They will compel me to retreat,
They will make the wind gush against,
And blow away my kingdom dreams.

But I won't give up,I will dare,
I will give the odds a scare,
I will show them my strength and might,
To those who know not the kings pride

Happiness might come in dew not rain,
Yet wisdom will guide my path again,
Like a cloudy sky will someday bear a golden sheen,
I will one day conquer the world of my dreams

Sunshine can take its sweet time,
For I shall not bend, nor smother in the night sky,
Behold, 'Thou failing is an accepted sin',
But 'not trying' is a crime not forgiven, hence I try!

Let the ship sail in the thundering skies,
As I carry in me the sea of patience, A beautiful mind,
A golden heart and a soul intertwined,
Forgot not,For I am nothing but the reflection of 'The Divine'.

-----------------------

Expect-at-ions

'Expectation' is probably the single most dangerous feeling a human can perceive. It's like this pill which kills you slowly from inside, eats into your happiness, lifestyle and then life! Yes, it is that dangerous!
As soon as you interact with any external stimuli from an individual or a non living thing, you fall unknowingly or knowingly into the cobwebs of expectations. Interestingly, each one expectation leads to another. Its an unending stairway which one keeps climbing forever.
Expectations can be from oneself or others, either ways these are the most important cause for any prevalent disharmonious situations/relationships. It's a simple phenomena you see...First, you expect, then as your initial expectations are fulfilled time and again, your expectations rise sometimes slowly, sometimes really quickly..This is the "profitable" phase of life.
Then there comes a "point of dissatisfaction" when you start to realise than most of your expectations are not being fulfilled, this should ideally be a "point of inflection" for assessing the situation again to look for potential reasons for the question "why my expectations from myself and others are not being fulfilled?"
But all of us in general circumstances, never look within for answers, instead we blame anything and everything under the sun.
Then comes the "point of no return", wherein we start to expect and demand so much out of our ownselves and others, that eating our own ego and going below our expectation levels becomes a difficult task..Hence unhappiness follows, till perspectives change!
Moral of the story:
"Expectations reduce joy, so reduce expectations to experience joy"

P.S. The sketch is made by me :)

Taking charge of destiny

I was reading this book called total self confidence. It was good; It said what I have heard so many times before-Nature conspires if you want something really bad. The theory seems to bring a change in your world in accordance with your wants; and all that change happens at your subconscious level.

I believe in it, I have seen things turn around when you aspire them day-in day-out. I am also a firm believer in the thought that you decide your destiny. We hear real life stories of how a nobody becomes a somebody; these rags to riches stories are not fairy tales, they all convey a lesson.

Lesson: If you want something, anticipate it, live your life like you already have it, dream about it, write it and thats how your thoughts will channelise your inner subconscience and program it to provide you with it.

The other day, my mom was telling me about a real story she read somewhere. It was about how a women who was madly in love with a guy, started anticipating him in her life. She bought two pillows and behaved like she was sharing beds with him, she started to cook meals for two and thought he was eating with her and what happened next was that within some months the guy and the girl got married.

The girl wasn't out of her senses, that is what everyone who aspires something does, they dream of it already happening and after a while it happens. Say for instance you dream of buying a car, so what do you do ? You go to showrooms to see it, you tell your friends you want to own that car, you put car posters on your wall, you decide the colour you want to see your car in, you day-dream of driving the car and the pleasure derived from it and one day you're bound to own it..(only if your desire is that strong) !

For all that I have stated above, the pre-requisites are that:

1. you should know what you want

2. you should have a strong and persistent desire to achieve what you want

It is said that the subconscious is the most active listener when we speak aloud to it or when we put soothing music in the background and program it to intake themessages we want it to absorb.

This rule applies to all and there is no harm trying it..but please don't expect magical results, because everything takes time..

Liquid sunshine

Oh Dear, Oh Dear Raindrop,
Do not fall or you'll drop the veil of the clouds above ,
Do not rush or you'll disrupt the rainbow love,
Do not drop or you'll drizzle on the floor,
Do not falter or you'll swell even more,

Oh Dear, Oh Dear Raindrop,
you have traveled through mountains,
you have traveled in may,
you have traveled so far,
yet you remain so gay,

Oh Dear, Oh Dear Raindrop,
Don't touch the grounds,Don't touch the winds,
Don't touch the rays or you'll faze away,
Don't prick your skin with a tree or a bush,
Don't smear you laughter in a rush or a push


Oh Dear, Oh Dear Raindrop,
Just smile, just laugh, just ride on a swing,
Just run around trees & make the bells ring,
Just blow the sun a goodnight kiss,
and give the deserts a running miss


Oh Dear, Oh Dear Raindrop,
Sprinkle,Drizzle,Drip and sleet,
Pour, Storm, snow and retreat,
give the yearning earth a sip, a treat,
come with rain gods, its time we meet.


Oh Dear, Oh Dear Raindrop,
life without you is so dull and dry,
cranky and parched is the blue sky,
It's time you ended the unending wait,
Come fast, come now before it's too late

It's OK...

Are decisions as simple as they seem to be?
I don't know the answer to this question. I don't even know of anyone who took all his decisions in a jiffy. Life ain't a joke, no-one risks it either. Like I have said before, every decision a man takes, he steers himself further to a place he intends to be.
I heard this somewhere "even an inch away from that straight line path today, can create miles of distances, from where you want to be, later on".True, yet it is always easier said than done. So let's face it, it ain't all that simple. In fact, Nothing is simple!

People who preach today might be, in an exactly similar scenario tomorrow, doing the things they didn't preach. It's because, it is difficult to be in that scenario, to face the situation, to be in a mess or to be under that kind of stress. Advice then seems pretty unworthy and unsolicited. I believe what worries us then is "confusion"..!
How wonderful and simple life could be if only our mind was uncluttered. The complex little 3.5kg on top of our shoulder, doesn't make things look easier.What it does is that it processes too much information from varied sources and presents that all to us, to assist us in making informed choices. But what we do is that we inter-mingle those facts and figures and confuse ourselves indefinitely. It is then that we start losing hope and that is not a good sign at all, as it signals loss of confidence in our abilities.
So what can we do about it?
Honestly, I don't know, no-one knows. But yes, there might be this one free, unsolicited advice I would like to give... Here goes, Try and make a list of all the things/virtues/values/people in life without whom you can't live or would not enjoy life. Review and re-evaluate the list, Strike the unnecessary. Now, This is not just any list, it is the set of values which drives your life. Stick to them.
If the decision you make sticks to it...great!! Now, ask your self this question "How bad can it get if i did this?" If it ain't that bad..You never know, you might just be better equipped to take a call :) relax...It's ok !!!

Decisions maketh a man

I went downstairs the other day to talk to mom and dad, they were already conversing about life as a subject and everything to do with it. Suddenly, something struck me and i told them my philosophy, in the easiest possible wordings . I didn't have to apply too much of myself in embellishing the wisdom because it was simple and uncluttered and it demanded a simple representation pertaining to its unadulterated existence.
Truth like wisdom demands and provides an unpretentious and unadulterated picture of the reality. The simplicity is not just its characteristic but also its undeniable and inseparable virtue.
Wisdom is what comes of age, as they say, but it simply means it comes of the experiences that man outlives.

My philosophy is simple: "You are responsible for everything that happens to you and has ever happened to you in the course of your lifetime and you took the decision for it , so why regret or blame anyone or anything external to you for it? "

Now,the philosophy is fairly simple, but if you have questions on its relevance read ahead:

Q. I never wanted to do it, i was forced or compelled by circumstances
Ans. Firstly, you wanted to do it, which is why you did it, it is your decision, so why regret it? Secondly,circumstances are also an outcome of your previous decisions that your mind has been taking over the period of time,consciously or unconsciously [ By unconsciously i certainly do not mean that you were unaware of the decisions being taken, i simply suggest that you wanted to be ignorant towards the decisions being made by your mind ]. So everything you do determines your circumstance and everything you do and chose to be ignorant towards becomes an object of your accusation.
Q. I cannot ignore my family and friends while deciding,moreover they take all my decisions.
Ans. Again, it is your personal decision to be influenced by your peers or family and this is again a decision that you take.Your friends or family take your decision only when you 'decide' that they must be empowered to take your decisions.
Q. Why I cant make good decisions?
Ans. Of course you make good decisions, even the decision to order your food or what to wear to office is a decision and everyone makes their own decisions. What you decide is what your mind weighs as the best possible decision given the circumstance and you consciously take the decision, so why even for a second repent? You should take pride in whatever decisions you have taken and never feel sorry for them. So Never regret and shoulder responsibility for it !

Seedling Dream story !

In the darkest hour, right before midnight,

When the world sleeps and shuts its sight,

The gloomy moon tends its ray of hope,

and shares its story with the dim light,

Some seeds unfold in the behest of silence,

Some wither, some survive, some quarrel the change

Some are seeds of wisdom, some seeds of pain, 

Some are seeds of sorrow, some seeds of vain,

Some lay floundering in the shallow sea waters below,

Beholden to their destiny, for a chance to be buoyant again,

Some seeds unfold in the behest of silence,

Some wither, some survive, some quarrel the change

Some seeds of dreams that were flown from lands far and away,

Lay sleeping in the bosom of Gaia for her unsullied love,

Some were seeds that spoke volumes before, snubbed in their vain today,

Some that promised the wind a benevolent alter, hath a forest someday

Some seeds unfold in the behest of silence,

Some wither, some survive, some quarrel the change

Fortuitous and Propitious were the seeds that bud,

For the miffed seedling said she had taken enough,

Enough of struggle, for now, it is time for her to stand upright,

Enough of comfort, for she wanted to be outside in the world unknown,

Unfolding in the behest of silence, she quarreled this change,

As it dawned upon her, she realized that she was the change

PHENOMENA called LOVE

If only someone could describe what love actually is,wouldn't it be so much more easier for us to diagnose that the love bug has finally bitten us and the infection has spread far too much to be cured.

Whilst we all know that the disease has its symptoms none of us can describe the feeling,because it is inexplicable..and the symptoms vary with every crucial stage!! Talking of symptoms,Romantic flicks define them far better than any doctor could have..

But the question here is...When do you know that it is "love actually" and not "infatuation"...and that it isn't just a temporary phenomena which fades away with time but builds up in strength with every passing moment..??

Here is my point of view...

Stage 1:Infatuation :-

Every relationship no matter how unique from the other in their stories has this part to it for sure because no relation can solely build on the "nice or sweet" part of its partner,there needs to be a strong urge from within to know the person,a strong physical attraction and a liking for the opposite sex or the same (as applicable)..which obviously is pretty much the way forward...looks do matter initially but take a back seat later on as the relationship matures..

Stage 2: I know you,you know me,now what? :-

Its simple,you meet,you talk incessantly,you want to share the best things about you,your achievements,your qualities,your life experiences,etc but at the same time you want to know more about the one at the other end,hence the observation power is increased manifold,watch out cause you are being noticed...nothing goes unnoticed! Every moment the other person is just gauging you to fit "HIS/HER TYPE"!! Now,here comes the Type issue,ironically,there are one class of people,who don't bother much about the "type"...but there are some who won't compromise! So be your best..cause the 1st impression might as well be your last chance..!! If you fit the type criteria,congratulations you have made it to the list,otherwise never mind better luck next time..and try someone your own type!!

Stage 3: I like you...!! really??!! OMG me too!! :-

This one is a pretty dicey stage,a make or break one...the thing is you have just confessed your liking but you don't know if its LOVE actually so you just linger it further this is the best stage,because the side effects of this stage are..you might assume you're flying,perhaps even HIGH,but on simple flirting !! Every thing seems to be just so nice...You want to stay here forever...and stretch till the next stage follows...

Stage 4:Let's know each other MORE.. till then let me ask my friends! :-

Its still the dating stage and you're asking your friends and people around you,if this would be the nicest thing to do...a mere nod/approval from their sides,will make way for something new..or rather the very next stage..

Stage 5:Wow...Is this real..I'm in LOVE..!! :-

Yes, you will be jumping around,sleeping less,talking more,dreaming both in the day and night,looking in the mirror more often,avoiding public places,steering away from parents,running to your room,looking at the roof and smiling..and the smile will be the only accessory that won't leave you even while you're in your most important meetings or discussions or classes..whatever! All that you will remember is your cell phone and you never know,you might even get caught reading the inbox messages time and again(a million times over)...or the constant beeps of the phone ringing are sure to get you in....! A person from miles away would guess,you're dazed and in love...and very much hit hard by the cupids arrow...

Stage 6: Constant recital of "I LOVE YOU"...and then MUAHHHH :-

I don't think this one needs any explanation...!! love needs an expression to come out....so there it goes..and i don't think you care if anyone's looking... :P !!

Stage 7: There goes my Concentration:-

You're just thinking...that let the entire world go to hell....and that you anyway,din't care much about others and neither did they ever...so why even bother...and your concentration is...well....very much at your partner only...no friends...no parents...no work...only love is on your mind...!

Stage 8:Beep BEEP...:-

Constant reminders of your love have to reach the other end...come what may...do hell with the phone bills... :D

Stage 9:Ok...im in love...and i'd love to have a future with you but let us not forget the finances!! :-

To make a living...love is merely an inspiration..money is the Requirement...Its needed for a house,education,food,clothing....!! Shit....we need to earn quick....!! or else...we will be dependent on your parents...or mine...!...Quick...snap back to reality

Stage 10:Love isn't everything...but it is still important...! :-

Ofcourse you're important sweetheart...but you know...Our career...is a little more important...so please...can we cut back on the talking part please..! you know i still love you...don't you..!! and im doing all this for us... ;)

Stage 11:So you don't love me anymore :-

Nothing is how it used to be....you don't have time for me...we hardly meet..youre busy always...!! no more lovey dovey messaging..and now you want to sleep early too..?!! you have changed...:D

Stage 12: Guess..we were never meant to be... :-

Well...things have changed..so have circumstances...youre not as understanding as you used to be..youre so intrusive and domineering...it psyches me..!! I have a life of my own...do i have to tell you everything??...Please don't disturb me..i have a lot of pressures over my head already...can't take crap from you too....!!...It will be better if we give each other time...

Stage 13: Over ?? so soon :( Shit...i miss him/her... :-

Friends....please come to rescue!!...i gave him/her my best..but i guess he/she has changed...so i guess not talking is the only way out...i guess,we have to move on...but i'll miss him/her...i wish...i'm called back...because i'm not going back to him/her...enough is enough!! :D

Stage 14: If its true...It will last :-

Despite all these ego clashes,circumstantial problems,unreal and high expectations,If you really were in love...It will LAST...and you'll be back...to make it work...:D

Stage 15: Happily ever after!

The umbrella diaries...

It was by far the best place i have ever seen...it was certainly divine ! But it didn't have the usual sky craving skyscrapers,nor the stubborn concrete buildings, nor the hollow walls of any dwelling, nor the diplomatic voices of the metropolitan cities,nor the stressful traffic and not even scenic monumental architecture..There were just 3 people there...me,my silence and nature uninterrupted.

I really couldn't previously understand why some people craved to be with nature and would want to live all by themselves,leaving all the fancies of the materialistic world to live a life so bland..with no cars,no big palatial houses,with not many appetizing and elaborate delicacies to choose from, with just plain clothes to wear..living a life not worth living...but i guess i was wrong...living near nature is an experience not worth leaving...cities can wait...
Not many people in today's world have the taste to live with simplicity..not many have the time to spend with nature...not many have the guts to leave what is shear comfort and necessity !
"Its not easy to be with oneself...it is far easy to live with others..."
Imagining and analysing life from this perspective i feel that we are in this rat race called life,missing out on a lot of beautiful things and moments...and this is what a day's trek to binsar's zero point made me realise..
Its hard to describe the place,its beyond words...the rustling sound of the dry leaves when you walk over them trying to sing a song, the sudden gush of the strong cold winds jostling the trees creating a symphony in mellow voices,pleading you to stop and enjoy the bountiful harmony and the beauty of nature and its songs for at least a minute..the birds were as if joining in the orchestra welcoming the spring with open hearts...the other creatures also joined in the chorus to let you know of their presence..the sudden drizzle made you wonder if the falling tiny raindrops were a part of the nature's conspiracy of the the enchanting symphony..and you might have never imagined how rhythmic these tiny little raindrops could be till they thud on the mud below to recreate a mesmerizing percussion of sorts..the soulful reverberance of whose sound fills your heart,mind and soul...
and that is not it...when you reach the trek till the top..you realize what they meant by heaven when they first coined the name...with clouds below you and walking besides you...precipitating on your face whenever a strong wind gushes past you...with hills below you and the himalayas infront of you clothed in the whitest clouds one could imagine...looking so enigmatic and mesmerizing...that you would never want to leave...
These feelings cannot be put into words...because somethings can only be experienced and not talked about!
P.S.: All Pictures are courtesy my father and the one holding the umbrella in the first picture is me.

My Conversation with my friend "Life":

Me: I really had to talk to you..I mean how do you manage being so uncanny all the time..you're so unpredictable and this amuses all of us all the time..so why are you this way??

Life: Well, i would have loved to be really simple and predictable but somehow i thought that would be so boring!! Thus i am not the same for everyone..and so like you behave and deal differently with different people so do i... what's wrong with that..and i am sure you all would have not wanted to live me longer if i were not like this,there would have been no fun at all you know! ;)
Me: Fun??!! well i guess when absolutely everything seems to be going the unexpected way..nothing seems right..! We feel so screwed up and you think its fun??
Life: Basically i am giving you a breather from your everyday boring life..I am sure its as refreshing as an adventure activity for you all...almost like a roller coaster ride of emotions ! Of course that's fun..but if you keep cribbing about it..you'll lose out on the thrill and experience.Its an irony my child..you'll never realize how much fun you had till that moment lasts..its only later on that you'll want to revisit and cherish those priceless moments again..like hanging out with friends or being thrown out of classes or being scolded by your folks or stammering in your viva's :P these moments may seem pretty embarrassing when they happen but they become profound
memories! So don't hold back and start enjoying !

Me: Ok, so you may be right here but again don't you think that these uncertainties that you throw at us breed insecurities in us!!?? and they make us aimless and haplessly depressed..what about that?

Life: My child, you need not get worried about these small games i play with you all the time..uncertainties should never stop you from trying..all i am trying do is giving you time to learn about your own self in this process..You don't need to be winning every game...because it doesn't matter in the long run,but you should aim at learning something from the experience all the time.Believe in me always and never assume that i'll leave you stranded ever..because i won't ever! Trust me..

Me: Guess you do have all the answers to my questions but here is a last one; Why does it happen that we can't take full control on our emotions during difficult situations?
Life: Well,that is true to a great extent for many,but that is because we sometimes think too much about things that don't really matter much so my advice is that let go..cause its easier to fly without much burden on your head and let me take the driving seat ; sit back and enjoy the scenery as it comes..

Me: :)

Life: God Bless you!!

Nightmare..!!

The delirium struck him in the middle of the night,
he just couldn't forget that hideous sight,
that moment of truth had shattered his life away,
he dreamt the nightmare every single day,
the shock of the loss was a miserable ruth,
but he had to live with the inconvenient truth.

His loss was more than that of a man without legs,
or of that of a child who everyday begs,
or of that of a father on his son's death,
or of that of a mother and child in snow without a sheath,
for his loss had garnered from his own distaste,
he wanted to undo all but it was too late.

He lost his family, friends,siblings and all,
he cried and cried but it was too late a call,
for he did nothing then to stop his downfall,
when warnings were avoided, ignored and then stalled,
what is worse he has no one to share his grief,
because the entire mankind itself weeps.

For the negligence of yesterday they all pay today,
for all the sins committed they pray today,
they know that even they wouldn't last long,
for the nature has already struck its dong,
and now we all pay for torturing it,
and for all the harm we did to it,

The earth has started spinning hotter as they say,
for it cannot tolerate anymore our tormenting stay,
for it has been hoping against hope for us to change,
but we have been showing no sympathy to her vulnerable stage,
This is the future left for for all of us to see,
if we don't take out mother earth seriously.


Click on the link to watch this video to know how you can help: Stop Global Warming!!

Life changing experience...

A WORD OF CAUTION: Reading the following might change your life in a big way (it did that to me) :

• This one sentence changed my life in a major way :- "Live in the PRESENT"I know it might sound like a cliche to you, but it certainly can change your life to an extent unsurpassed, with the only clause attached that you need to apply it at every moment of your life to experience the bliss.Its very strange how we all either think of the past and crib or think about the future and worry but the irony lies in the fact that in the present moment there is never a thing to crib/worry! So why should you indulge your self into meaningless stress? Why can't all of us enjoy the present moment? Here is a technique that might prove helpful to help your self whenever your mind swings into past or future-Snap your fingers each time you feel your mind is wandering anywhere but the present moment and smile after that to make the most of now! This technique shall be the most effective in giving your life a new meaning..
• The second secret is "Either give it your 100% or don't do it!" why say "i will try" when you know you don't want to do it! Don't make attempts just for the heck of it, take your call and do it only when you are sure you want to give it your 100% because there is no point in fooling around with your own self.
• "Expectations reduce joy".I know everyone would agree to this because we all know we feel bad whenever our expectations are not fulfilled,so why reduce our joy when we have just one lifetime with an average life expectancy of just 70 years with almost all of us sleeping around 35yrs of that age, the remaining is spent either eating, working in closed cubicles or in traffic with just 4/5 years left with us to live..so why waste ??!!

• "With Power comes Responsibility and vice-versa". I heard this dialogue in spiderman I, and ever since it has stayed with me. This sentence is perhaps the best to get ourselves back on track whenever we over-indulge in our ownselves and our vested interests.

Irony called LIFE !!

Its very strange and confusing sometimes, to be sitting with yourself and analyzing your own life. When you recollect all that you have been through , all circumstances that have come your way, all the miles that you have gone by, all the beautiful memories of the past, all the sorrows you managed to overcome, all the moments that you rejoice, all the people whom you cherish, all the fun that you had, all the stress that took a toll on you, all the times wherein you have been loved and pampered...When all of these little moments that you cherished so much suddenly become the past, it seems so unreal..and all you feel like doing then is somehow catching hold of these surreal moments of bliss..so that you can again revisit these memoirs as many times as you want.
Life, this four letter word is in no manner as simple as it seems, for it encompasses gazillions or may be even more vivid moments for us to gather in an entire lifetime.These four little letters encompass our existence on this planet and can be fairly surprising and unpredictable.Nobody can foretell what life might bring next on to our doorsteps, yet we anticipate with vigor and enthusiasm to see the unseen, to believe the unexplainable, to traverse into the unknown and expect the unexpected...here lies the beautiful irony..."we don't know what will happen,yet we expect and believe that the planned shall happen for good".
We meet many fellow travelers on these paths of the maze of life, but our destiny decides for who stays with us for what time interval and who leaves without a word being said.
Thus terming this beautiful labyrinth as 'life' and the answer to this labyrinth as destiny would not be quite wrong,would it?...for if you are destined to solve this puzzle, you are gifted and are destined to do so by all means but the effort remains with the beholder and the minimum we can do is just try, for the hidden path shall open only when the time comes and you need to be striking the right chord then to be able to pass through the hidden doors of the maze, which you shall be able to do only if you keep practicing the right chord, awaiting the right time..leaving the unforeseen to destiny!