Do yourself a FAVOR

Today morning on my way to office, I started sifting through my messages of last two days to pass my time and clean up the inbox in the process :) … suddenly one message sent few days back by a friend caught my eye… I’m sure I would have read it (my cell was showing it as read :) but then why was it appearing new… or maybe the insight that sparked after re-reading it was altogether new (or renewed :)...

Though a bit philosophical, still felt like sharing with all of you, just in case you also need a refresher course in what is a very simple yet fundamental learning from life ;)

Every situation & every moment in your life is new. You cannot be guided by your past experience because if you do that then chances are that you'll respond and act to something that happened in the past and has no connection what so ever to what's happening in this very moment. The response which may have been right then may not be right now and vice versa. If that be true, then isn’t treating each moment as if it is happening in our life for the very first time in our FAVOR only.

Let me see if I can articulate the same for an easy reference… both for you and for me :)

• Freedom … that's the first word that comes to me. Wouldn’t it be amazing to feel free and not bothered to carry the heavy book called 'lessons from my past' every time, just so that I can look up (refer) whenever a situation arises in my life… especially the ‘tips and tricks’ chapter which I have been continuously writing since last 3 decades to help me revise before answering the examination/question paper called life :)
  
  
• Adventure… that’s the next word that comes to me. The fact that nothing is guiding me from the past in any situation or moment means what ever comes to me will be completely new… UNKNOWN yet UNPRECEDENTED… WOW that would be exciting, thrilling, and adventurous… like that ‘first time’ feel… when I took the first round in the locality on my new Scooty or when I applied kajal and gloss for the first time or when the boy I liked gave me an unexpected yet sweet kiss (your toes are tingling too with remembrance I guess :)
  
  
• Vantage… is where I would be able to stand… not getting burdened under the happenings of that situation or detracted from the focus of my life and pushed to the sidelines… but positioned well above all that is happening as if getting an aerial view of the entire thing and a much clearer :) . This clarity can prove a fertile ground for basing any steps or actions, since it will take into account the whole picture and not just what is in front of my eyes (or what I think I am seeing :)
  
  
• Oblivion… as in “nothingness” is what comes to mind next. Nothingness or an empty space where any thing and every thing is possible. Such would be moments to experience being a creator, where what I want can come into being. The sheer enriching joy of creating some thing new would make the experience complete in itself, where I am left without the want of more. No thought of why, what, how, where from, and definitely no ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ (you know what I mean :). It would feel like being a kid again playing with my blocks or colors, merrily immersed in creating what I want and think is the best.
  
  
• Rejoice… is what comes next to mind. New things in life call for celebration. Isn’t it? So would each moment if I treat it as new. And just like the experience of celebration is joyful and ever lasting (in our memories); moments will stay pleasant too. If you are asking what will I celebrate - well I can think of celebrating the newness of the moment … since it won’t be stemming from past but originating just now (a victory in itself)… I can think of celebrating the learning… which would be wholesome and a part of me rather than a pointer for reference in the heavy book (that I am happily taking off from my :):):)
  
  
  I’m thinking of doing my self a FAVOR :) … how about you?
  

...Love You!!

I very happily picked up the phone today to talk to a friend I haven’t heard from since quiet some time... the sound at the other end of the call was so feeble my heart sank... a little prompting and he shared the loss of his sister to a sudden heart attack leaving behind two small kids... such a young life wasted again… another loved one gone… I could not stop my tears or the gush of past memories… praying and hoping that she went knowing that she was loved… that people in her life had not left things unsaid and unexpressed…

The experience was enough to nudge again and remind that life is too capricious for me to wait… wait to express what I want to say…

I made a choice right then that I don’t want to loose another moment… so here is some thing dedicated to all those who mean a lot to me…

Everyday life unfolds so much in front of me
I see many things beautiful & many scary

And then there’re times when I still don’t say
What my heart really truly wants to convey

But as unpredictable as life can be today
I don’t want to loose another chance to say

How much your presence mean to me
And thank you for making me “Me”

Often unsaid, but this is the reality
You are & will remain special to me

I cherish what you bring to my life
In moments of harmony or strife

For all the times I have shied away
Not giving my expression a free way

I say, what will for ever stand true
I will always treasure & LOVE YOU!

HOPE

A beautiful hope has had its start
Within the blessed corners of my heart
To rise and shine as I never did before
Make an effort to reach the highest score

A goal has been set, a decree made
The darkness of fear is about to fade
All I need is to take a step ahead
To prove everything that I ever said

A renewed faith and I am all set
To strive with fervor, to go and get
Things that are in store for me
Limitless SKY & vigorous SEA

Life like my childhood...

Life like my childhood is sometimes very good……

Life like a nightmare sometimes really scares……

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Life has thrown me in pools of despair

With onslaught of nightmares ready to scare

Life has taken away people I love most

Reminding me ever of the treasures I’ve lost
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:

Life has also given me reasons to hope

Helped me at times when I couldn’t cope

Life has given me reasons to smile

And made things appear more worthwhile

:

:

Life like my childhood is sometimes very good……

Life like a nightmare sometimes really scares……

A pair grows faster than an individual...

My buddy remembered me today after a long time (at least it felt like that to me :)) … he was referring to the book “Who moved my cheese” (I guess he liked this book because of the same reason that I did - simplicity with which it conveyed few key messages).

As he recalled the characters of Sniff and Scurry, his thought was really profound (some times he does think :) ). He said "It’s always a pair that grows faster than an individual."

And then he said some thing really sweet, that my name was the first that stuck his mind on this thought and that he feels lost because he experiences being alone. And because it will be difficult for two of us to get lost at same time.

TRUE. I could relate to him… very much so… But at the same time some thing came to my mind as a response to his feeling alone… here’s what I said to him…

If you experience being alone or lost today
Stop for a moment & look your buddy’s way
Besides we being a support for the other
We are also meant to mirror & reflect each other
Maybe when you were feeling alone and blue
Your buddy needed you more than she told you
So one way to bring yourself on the right trail
Is to make sure your buddy does not fail

As I kept writing, I felt it to be true not just for him but me too… and not just in this situation but so many other situations as well… times when I have felt lonely and down in life… times when I felt the void because some one was not present when I thought s/he should be there.

Sounds familiar?? I am sure all of us go through the same…

But if only we could look the other person’s way during such times, we may be amazed to know that s/he is waiting for us too… needing us… wanting for us to reach out and support… listen to the unsaid… and offer the unasked…

…if only we choose to move beyond our own selves…

Difficult? Maybe…

Simple? For sure (I am having fun trying it on :) )

You too can try on… and we can compare notes then :) :) :)

When the Tough gets going.....

When the Going gets Tough, the Tough gets Going!!
But what about “When the Tough gets going....."??
Here’s something for that…

When Tough gets going, the going starts bowing...

When Tough stands in Victory, going is no mystery!

So friends, let us be tough until the goals are met...

Let there be no unsolved mystery before we rest!

Try unfastening the belt that ties us with fear…

Not failure or success, let action be our gear!

The taste of next morning will be a sweet savor…

When our paths are lit with successful endeavor!

The carnation I dried & saved is still alive

Carnation- my favorite flower… few people know my passion for it… yes passion… passion – one for its beauty that always inspires and awes me and two (more important) for the memories it evokes every time I see it… memories of a sweet friendship, memories of a time I felt loved & cared for, memories of some one whose presence always gives strength, memories that force me not to regret the loss but to cherish the gains… memories of a bond that still stays indescribable…

The red colored carnations that I received (surprisingly) yesterday evoked all the memories that are an eternal part of me… through out the day I felt like caressing its petals with my fingers every time I passed the shelf that they were kept on. I almost plucked out one carnation from the beautiful bouquet… but then stopped not really wanting to mar its perfect beauty or symmetry…

Now I know what that urge was… my entire being was pulled to re-live all that again… and see if the experience could come to life even for fraction of a second…

As I slept thinking about all this, I suddenly remembered the carnation I dried & saved… and the fact that it is still alive and will remain so… alive in me and my conversations… alive in my belief and faith that no matter where we stay, we are connected… alive in my pious prayers that will never let it loose its beauty…

That Silver white paint…

I felt like painting my nails after ages (it seems)… guess the girl inside remembered to enjoy the little girlie things today… but then a voice (from the back of my own head) reprimanded to take care of other things… things that are more important than your painted hand/toe nails stupid... things that will ensure the needs of my loved ones will be taken care of… things that will give them comfort the way I want… things that should take priority always…

All day long I rushed about… driven to finish all the tasks I had set out to do… and as the sun set and there wasn’t much I could do I started walking back… I felt the cold winter air on my face and tried to experience accomplishment (at least) for the things that got completed but some thing was missing that my mind wasn’t helping me recall… some thing that was left incomplete… I would have passed and missed the small shop glittering with accessories if not for that voice from my head that came up again… maybe now you can fulfill the wish of a girl who asked for a nail paint… and with a secret smile and bounce in my step I entered the shop…

The shop keeper started showing me different shades in pinks and reds and browns… but nothing seemed to appeal… “silver” was the word swirling in my mind… and I instinctively stopped his earnest effort to impress me with the wide range of shades he had… after few minutes, still wondering why I chose it, but happy with my “silver” purchase I headed back home… and felt the bounce in my step again… some thing that I hadn’t felt in a long long time…

As I sat down at night to finish the much awaited task of the day… my mind asked again – but why silver?? I shrugged and tried concentrating on the task at hand… when the coating and drying finished and I raised my hands to inspect the outcome of my effort some thing flashed from the past… or rather some one’s hands…

“Graceful” was the word I had always thought whenever I used to see her painting her nails in that silver shade (don’t know if I ever told her that or that it was one of the few things that inspired the girl in me to explore herself)… I realized that in my mind I have always associated silver white nail paint with her as if it was her patent :) I smiled at the sweet reminiscence… and then some thing blurred the vision… and before I could realize tears had left a wet trail on my cheeks… the loss of a cherished friendship was strong… the pain that will probably take long years (I hope) to go away… the pain of hurting her though I never intended to… pain of not knowing if I was ever forgiven for what went wrong even after I took responsibility and tried to mend things… pain of knowing that I may never have (no matter how much I want) that relation back as it used to be… or the chance to tell her that I will always love and pray for her to get every thing beautiful in life…

I know if ever she reads this she will understand what I am talking of… and hope she will believe when I say that I still long for that bond… that my life & I continue to feel the void and can never be complete without her… I still wish for the comfort, the love I felt with her, despite the persona/image I may have created of being strong and not needing any one… that I still want the freedom to reach out to her when I feel like pouring out my heart or to be allowed to stand beside when she needs me…

And that I will always remember her whenever I put that silver white paint…