Natural wisdom?

We all know the old adage - Life goes on. Nothing is constant on the axis of time. The dates change, the seasons change, ages change, perceptions change, appearances change, beliefs change. Like a river, in constant motion. Yet, the irony is that at times we feel stagnated.

Contentment. And stagnation. Two sides of the same coin. Perceptions by an optimist, and a realist, maybe?

In a world with multiple frames of reference, we find ourselves battling many assumptions, trying to find answers to questions difficult to frame.

As we move on in life, we meet new people who take us through. They say that there are some people whom you meet for a reason, some for a season and some for a lifetime. Everyone you meet doesnt stick around forever. And even if they do, equations change. When the river starts flowing, it starts out alone, pure, sparkling and clean. As it flows, it collects sand, stones, mud, weeds and proceeds, less clean, not sparkling, but not alone. In its journey to the sea, it encounters big rocks , ditches, where some of the weed may get caught and sand deposited. But it moves on, picking up new weeds along its way, and it will never be alone. Nature teaches us to move on.

To do or not to do..

This has been eating me up inside since the Carlton towers fire broke out last Tuesday. Life is so uncertain. Life is so fragile. Life is so tough. Sometimes you feel like you are walking on a proper bridge with fencing, suddenly the fence disappears, suddenly the bridge narrows, suddenly its a rope, suddenly life is a tight rope walk to a destination, a destination you yourself are not sure of.

Nothing is constant in this world but change.

Life is like moment of inertia. You're constantly trying to come back to a state of equilibrium, when all sorts of forces are trying to push you out of your state of equilibrium.

Life can't wait.. says Sunsilk. I agree. You don't postpone life. If you want to do something, do it, life's too volatile.

The enormity of the emotional trauma of the WTC tragedy comes flooding back now, when the Carlton towers fire itself led to 9 huge losses in 9 loving families.Thousands of people stared death in the face in those towers. None knew what was in store when they went to work that morning, least of all expect a plane to come crashing into their workplace. Lots of plans, lots of dreams were left unfulfilled. Lots of sentences incomplete, lots of words unsaid, lots of feelings untold. Lots of guilt, for no fault of anyone in those towers. One of those who perished in the Carlton has a 5 month pregnant wife. It sends shivers down my spine to even imagine what she must be going through.

Earthquakes. In Haiti. Now Chile. Lives,families, careers, dreams razed to the ground.

All said, its important to move on. Its difficult as hell, but its what is expected from us. God made some rules - like those of life, and death. Two gates everyone has to pass through. And we need to respect the path between the two gates. And walk with renewed hope and vigour when someone has passed through their second gate, not drag ourselves to our second gate, cos God has plans for us, and maybe they're good.

I pray for the families of all the deceased. I know how difficult the whole ordeal is.

There's a popular song whose lyrics are pretty intriguing.

Zindagi mein kabhi koi aaye na rabba,

Aaye toh phir kabhi jaaye na rabba,

Dene ho agar use baad me aasoon,

To pehle koi hasaaye na rabba.

Is this right? Do we seek to not feel happy today if we are sadness is on its way? Do we always anticipate sorrow, and spoil the happiness in front of us? Well, life is a sine curve. There are ups and downs. We need to accept it and go on.

In a nutshell.

Titanic

I just saw Titanic. One of the most classic movies I've seen. It's a movie that depresses, no doubt, and even more due to the overwhelming happiness hitherto. It's a movie that touches me. And the element of truth, its makes the emotions felt more real.

Destiny. Fate. Love.Jealousy.Possessiveness. Freedom.Change. Life. Death. Luck. Faith. Hope.Innocence. Purity. Loyalty. I saw them. I felt them. I lived them through the movie. Right from the time they showed the remains of the Titanic. The incident put a full stop to so many lives. Dreams were left unfulfilled. The hundreds who resigned to their fate, and stared death in the face sent a chill through my spine.

The Titanic reminds me of a swan. Calm and unruffled above the surface, paddling furiously underneath. So many hands went into getting the ship to sail. The way they've shot it is simply brilliant.

It also reminds me of 'Who moved my cheese?'. A book which tells you that change is constant, and adapting to it is the only way to survive. So many people who didn't know to swim would have faced their fear. And probably, survived, due to the basic human instinct to come up to the surface. The cold in the middle of the Atlantic, it must've been freezing. How the survivors braved the cold is simply unimaginable.

I am just bowled over by the Jack-Rose love story. Its simply amazing. The innocence, the purity, the sincerity, the trust.. I can go on and on. I believe in fate, to the extent that we are destined to meet certain people, and it happens no matter what.

The movie has really touched me. It has so many angles. So many morals. Prepare for the worst. Pride comes before a fall.

And the biggest moral : Live life in the moment. We don't know how many days we have left. Should make the most of the present. None of those 2000+ people would have dreamt that the maiden voyage of the great Titanic would be its last, and theirs too. We are all sailing in some ship, figuratively, and we don't know whether it will dock where it should. But we believe, and carry on. Hope takes us through. Faith keeps us going.

There's another school of thought on why the Titanic sank. Some other time, that. The movie's brilliant.

P.S. I'm watching the movie for the second time after 1997. I got a LOT more from it now, than I did then, as you can see. :)

The Small things

I am constantly amazed by the things in life that we are most attached to. They're not materialistic, though they're important too, but reassurances, small little tiny reassurances that keep us going.

This reminds me of something I once read :

Piglet sidled up behind Pooh.
"Pooh",he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing", said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you."

:) It always brings a smile on my face.

We need to feel like we belong. That we matter to the people who matter to us.

In life, the small things are the big things.

But then, everyone has their signature way of doing things. Of expressing their love, gratitude, affection.

"Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have".
:)

Scales.

Scales. Life is like a set of scales. Thats the theory I ve heard. There are times I believe in it and there are times I don't want to. Everything evens out. What goes around comes around. It's scary and maybe, its true.

It all starts off very very long back. When you laugh too much, your friends tell you -" You'll definitely cry later in the day". And it sticks. You anticipate sorrow when you've dwelled in happiness. So, either by co-incidence, or by the Placebo effect, once you've tuned your mind to believe it, it happens.

Power of the mind...

Mis(sed)-takes

Mistakes. Life is full of them.
A mistake is always the wrong fork in the road that's taken.
A mistake is the easy way out.
A mistake is the only way out that we see through windows of rage, frustration or fear.

There are mistakes I'm proud I've made. After all, a person who hasn't made mistakes hasn't done anything. An event less life, that. But then again, there are some that I'm not proud of. I cringe at their very thought. Mistakes made due to misunderstandings, mistakes made in anger, and worst of all, mistakes made on purpose.

When I read the newspapers, I see a whole lot of mistakes staring at my face.A student committed suicide because of low marks(!). A drunk driver knocks down 4 pedestrians. Well, it might have been his first, and maybe his last, big mistake. Do we forgive him?Do the bereaved families forgive him? Ramalingaraju.. he might have been a good man if you put the scam aside. But do we forgive him? A woman married to an alcoholic killed her 2 polio stricken daughters and committed suicide because she lost all hope. Should she be forgiven? There are some mistakes that don't give us another chance. Costly mistakes, these.

Here's a small poem I associate with making mistakes.

"There's a Hole in My Sidewalk" by Portia Nelson

I
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost...I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

II
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place.
But, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

III
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in. It's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault. I get out immediately.

IV
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

V
I walk down another street.

Today, I believe making mistakes is not a bad thing. I learn from them, some the hard way. Taking responsibility for my mistakes makes me a better person. What is bad is when my mistakes hurt people. And those are mistakes I still want to be a missed take in the reel of life.

Blank...

'The limits of my language mean the limits of my world."

Never felt it more, as much as now.

The Demon Of Familiarity....

Familiarity breeds contempt. ' The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well.' How true...How many people in our lives do we wholeheartedly respect for who they are? And how many of those are a vital part of our lives, people we know inside out? Why do we always admire people who are at a distance, on some distant stage, all the while turning a blind eye to the possibly even greater qualities those close to us have struggled to imbibe?? Why Why Why?? Its insane. Its plain stupidity. Its contempt. They say a little knowledge can be dangerous, a whole lot can be even more! What do you call something that dissolves your admiration, respect for the people who have been with you through most part of your life, and will continue to be there throughout?? Well, DANGEROUS. Contempt feeds on inner happiness. It lives on your peace of mind. Why do we find ourselves digressing from the train of thought of the very people who contribute to the making of US? In whatever way. Its not justified. I despise the saying I started off with. Because its true. Its real. And reality bites. Real hard.
Life would be a lot more smoother if we learnt to turn around that reality. Make sure we keep the worm of contempt out of our minds, make sure it doesn't blend into our persona. How comfortable do you feel with a person with contempt brewing inside?? It'll spew forth sooner or later, for all you know, in an ugly way.

'To be trusted is a bigger compliment than to be loved.' Familiarity is a blessing. Lets keep it that way.

Blissfully indifferent...

Time. We know its scarce. We know its precious. We know its unstoppable. Yet we waste it, plunder it, kill it.

Its frustrating to see whole days passing me by with nothing substantial accomplished. Its frustrating to realise, a tad too late, how much little clusters of 86,400 seconds could have made a difference to what I am today.

How important it is to use your time well is common knowledge. But looking at these people who have achieved so much- in sport, in the arts or in technology, it makes me think...what do I consider worth spending my time on??..Its admirable the way these guys put in all their energy and focus into swimming, tennis, basketball...it would be wonderful to excel in a sport. The mastery you gain over yourself in that training period is unmatched. Hmm..And that note leads inevitably to the HOBBY. An overrated definition. If you don't do something well enough, its your hobby. If you aren't focusing enough to make a mark in the field, its your hobby. If you don't want to live up to high expectations-you said it- its your hobby. Why build a five-letter wall around yourself and stop yourself from soaring??...Call it PASSION. And once you start calling it that, you'll make sure you respect the effort.

I can't stick to a topic, can I? Exactly what happens when I'm trying to study. I have all the theoretical knowledge, I just need to put it into practice!..And that sums up my state of mind at the moment...in a nutshell...:(

Mediocrity

The word scares me, yet it lies in my comfort zone. Its blended into every nook and cranny of my life, albeit unknowingly. I wonder, where is the acheiver, the dreamer who wanted to make it big everyday?? She's right there, beneath the froth of mediocrity.

I speak for myself, though I know there are millions out there who breathe mediocrity, and would rather die than admit it. It's a well known fact that 'Admitting to a weakness is the battle half won.' Why then do people run away from the truth, I wonder. And when in the routine of mediocrity, leaps forth an achievement, it becomes difficult to digest. The commonplace thing that happens is we brush it off, yet again, under the mat of mediocrity.
Being mediocre is like being a doormat for an acheiver to step on. And it's high time we realised that.

In a nutshell, 'If something is worth doing, its worth doing well.' And the day that becomes a paradigm, life itself becomes an achievement.

my all time favourite poem!

Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms

Believe me, if all those endearing young charms,

Which I gaze on so fondly today,

Were to change by tomorrow, and fleet in my arms,

Like fairy-gifts fading away,

Thou wouldst still be adored, as this moment thou art,

Let thy loveliness fade as it will,

And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart

Would entwine itself verdantly still.

It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,

And thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear

That the fervor and faith of a soul can be known,

To which time will but make thee more dear;

No, the heart that has truly loved never forgets,

But as truly loves on to the close,

As the sunflower turns on her god, when he sets,

The same look which she turned when he rose.

-Thomas Moore

And that is one of the best pieces I've come across...Look at the last 4 lines-They speak more than a whole ten thousand pages put together. Man! It rocks!...In a nutshell:)

Going with the flow...

Ever had one of those days...when everything goes just too fast and you don't know where you are heading..or your thoughts, for that matter. Sometimes things are just too complicated..maybe, too simple...to grasp...

It's like white water rafting
The current pulling you in a direction of its choice...
You don't have a say, you don't have a choice..
You move with the river
It swallows you at times, then spits you out...
You go with the flow, you don't have a voice.

Its now your job to maneuver
your way downstream...
Your focus completely on survival.
Fighting that tug there, that pull here
An oar to keep you standing in the midst of chaos.

A determination, a spirit to face challenges,
And a sense of belonging,
Go a very long way.

my first post!

well...i really dunno what it feels like to have a blog...always wondered though. A place where people vent their feelings, their most well-kept secrets in the most discreet manner, the most effective manner. I've read a number of blogs where every word spills pain, echoes of resounding laughter, emanates giggles or weeps its soul out. Probably blogs help people to identify with their inner selves, to understand whats actually going on deep down inside. But ,that again, if you can think on the keyboard..heh..most of us need the traditional pen and paper and a closed room to think 'from the heart'. Or, maybe it helps to build a family, a family of like-minded people, thinkers, a family of people you don't know, and will, in all probability, never meet. Why would anyone want that, you might wonder??...Sometimes, the biggest changes in your life come about because of people you might never know, for instance, an anonymous blogger helped you hone your writing skills, an anonymous blogger once in the same crushing situation you are in helped you move on, an anonymous blogger heeded your words to bring about a positive change in his life. This, I talk of on a personal level, how blogs could, in my opinion make an impact in our extremely busy or lonely lives. By anonymous, here, I'm not being literal, a way of emphasising that he/she is a stranger to you. I'm amazed how words have such weight...'The pen is mightier than the sword' wasn't unfounded after all. And bringing the weight of words into the electronic medium, on which the world runs today, makes the phenomenon even more impressive!
Blogs fascinate me. Creating your own blog is like occupying a cubic square of water in the ocean...You have your space, but you are part of the ocean of innumerable blog-spaces anyways. A space you create for yourself, but anticipate external influence. A space that might go unnoticed by the rest of the world, for all you know, but you write post after post, anyways, checking every time you log in if someone in the vast ocean has chanced upon your piece of word-art and left a note. You are constantly hungry for 'feedback', which i read somewhere to be 'the breakfast of champions'..True.:).You ask all your friends and acquaintances to spare some of their precious time(which they otherwise spend doing 'nothing' as a lot of em put it..and are very proud..including yours truly..hehe) and scan through your writing. I must admit I've never gone through any when I was asked to, its always been when I WANTED to, although it doesn't really matter as long as i have.:)
Blogs can change perceptions, prejudices, your way of thinking. My advice to people who don't care- WAKE UP! The world has changed! New dimensions are discovered here everyday. And that was my humble point of view..In A Nutshell..:)