Sacrifices signify that there are some decisions that we regret and wish that they were taken differently. But in this phase of my life as I look back I realise, I have not made any sacrifices.
Yes, I have made difficult decisions and wrong choices, but they are entirely of my own making and I own them irrespective of the outcomes that have come out of it.
Yes, there have been instances wherein I was pushed into certain circumstances unwilling either by fate or otherwise, however, today I realise that holding a grudge against those situations, time and people is only making me relive those moments over and over again.
Instead I have decided to push these instances to a far corner and pick up the positives learnt from the occurance. I have decided not to live as a victim of circumstances but to own the life given to me by destiny. I have resolved to stop living in the past and blaming people and situations, instead from now on I decide my present and future.
My past should not be a burden for me to carry but a torch to illuminate my journey.
Self centred in a cocoon of my own thoughts I react to the outer world Through the tainted glasses of my bias I see hopelessness and worry The world seams so happy without me
But, when the cocoon breaks I realise I am a part of this universe Whatever small role I play I am important
Hopelessness and despair is only my imagination I am loved and taken care of... always remember
Feeling the love in the warmth of sunshine on a chilly day A gentle breeze on a warm evening A hug from a friend on a trying day
Looking through the clear eyes of hope and gratitude, I know, I am indispensable
What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?
Life has come to us with a predetermined time frame. Every second the clock is ticking. Being aware of this I know that I should be using my time more effectively. Working on aspects that matter the most. Like nurturing children, imbibing spiritual values, reading up scriptures that I desire to read and most importantly working towards spiritual upliftment.
I know, I need to work towards fulfilling my desires and bucket list wishes before I am too old to travel. Although I believe I have a few decades before I get there, but the uncertainty of life puts an urgency to important tasks and wishes.
I want to work on better time management skills so that I do not have any desires and wishes left when I pass over to the other side.
I think for starters I can cut on time spent on useless surfing on internet and unnecessary chatter with people thus freeing up time for chasing my dreams.
All decisions we make and actions we take either give us satisfaction, happiness or guilt. The feelings and emotions are my guiding light that give direction and purpose to my life.
Actions that bring about satisfaction and happiness not only to me but to all the people involed are ought to be repeated as frequently as possible so that I can stay in a perpetual state of happiness and satiety. However, actions that make me feel guilty stay with me for many days eating away from inside.
These actions or inactions can be small like not smiling back at a child or using a wrong tone or wrong word while communicating leading to misunderstandings, or they can be bigger mistakes like crashing the car or yelling at family and friends.
Acts of omissions where action was necessary like not attending a best friends wedding or not inviting a close friend for a celebration also produce guilt that lasts for days.
While dealing with my guilt I try to rectify and apologise if possible, or I make a conviction never to repeat the act, thus learning a valuable life lesson the hard way.
Whatever we choose, we should be able to accept their consequences which may not always be good. However learning from the mistakes and moving forward guides you in the right direction.
The communication within the world has changed. From letters that used to take days to reach or get lost on the way to video calling, a drastic change has occurred in the way we express ourselves.
Further, our circle of influence is no longer restricted to our immediate friends and neighbors but extend far and wide beyond the country boundaries and barriers.
However, inadvertently some flaws have also permeated in our lives interwoven with the technological advancements.
One such impediment is the lack of interpersonal contact during communication. Although personal touches can be added via emojis, Gifs and videos the lack of eye contact and ability to view the body language can lead to misinterpretation of percieved intentions.
For example it is hardly possible to note if the person chatting with you is sincere or just commenting out of sarcasm. Or the tone of his comment is wonder and amazement or just a formality to appear civil.
So many cyber scams are proof enough of how a person can be easily manipulated through impersonal communication. Further, mobs can easily be created by spreading wrong or incomplete information that can lead to loss of peace and life.
Easy access to communication technology can make or break you. Hence it is necessary we note how we use and interpret them. It is wise to cross check and cross reference or ask the concerned person his intention directly rather than brood over misinterpreted misunderstandings.
Bharat… It is believed that every 50-100 kms the dialect and culture changes here. In our tradition almost all days have some significance, although some are celebrated with more fervor than the rest, depending on the region where you hail from. The main objective behind celebration and festivities was to celebrate life and its existence, to move our focus from the outside world to a deep world within ourselves in a homogeneous and collective manner.
The most revered festival in my region is Ganesh Chaturthi. This festival worships the elephant God, which is symbolic of wisdom, fortune, success and luck.
A month before the festivities the body is prepared for the occasion by consumption of only pure satvik food. This food increases the prana and positivity within ourselves. Various ceremonies are performed a few days prior to the festival. The house is decorated and special seat for the idol along with Matoli consisting of various fruits and herbs is prepared.
On the day of the festival the idol is brought home with great reverence and Puja and offerings are done along with singing of bhajans and folk dances. Special food items are prepared and offered to the deity. This is a way of thanking the almighty for all that he has made available to us in the form of food, medicines etc.
This is a festival wherein all the family members irrespective of being located in various states / countries come together in the ancestral home. It is like a grand gathering which happens once a year celebrating the occasion.
As per your wish you can keep the idol for a maximum of 21 days. On the last day immersion procession is carried out with great pomp and gaiety.
This festival reminds us of our temporary existence on this planet. It reminds us to honour our life and initiate a journey inwards. Ultimately it reminds us that death is inevitable and we all need to go back to the earth where we originate from. Such profound knowledge imparted in just a festival is a very brilliant method conceived by our ancestors and carried forward in the tradition.
Thus, we take leave from the idol saying ” Ganapati bappa morya, fudchya varshi Lavkar ya” thus meaning “praises to you as you leave and hope to seen you soon the next year “.
Signifying the ultimate reality of death in all our lives. Leaving behind bitter sweet memories.
What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?
It was the school camping trip. All of us dressed smartly in our uniforms with scarfs around our necks, busy setting up our tents. Looking around for places to put the pegs and tie the bamboo support for the handstitched canopy we had spent our after school hours preparing.The tents were decorated with the team logo and name.Sweating out in the heat we prepared the refuse pits and cooking areas.
All set we spread our mats inside the tents to take a breather before venturing into yet unknown territory of cooking.
Stoves were lit, while some couldn’t light up, thanks to the tango of the wind. Some managed to cook rice into a gruel and while some had undercooked lentils for dinner. However, the savoury self made candle light dinner cooked together had a flavour like none other.
Satiated and tired we dragged ourselves to the main focus of a camp. The campfire. Singing, dancing and playing games. With the warmth of the fire for company, our tiredness long forgotten and an unexplainable joy of camping with friends overcoming us, as we entertained ourselves into the dark of the night.
The most difficult part was the night patrol. Patrolling teams changed every hourly. While some managed to take up their posts, others slumbered into the night out of exhaustion.
The ride back home the next day was filled with mixed emotions… a longing to get home, yet a sadness of end of an adventure.
These memories are now distant yet precious. A reflection of the time spent with friends that are now scattered at all the corners of the world.
Cool breeze, cloudy skies Hazy moon, Romantic nights A drizzle of raindrops Petrichor, tickling the senses Racing mind, Beating hearts Love is in the air
What is ours and what isn't? Fragile relationships, broken faith Today's possessions, tomorrow's burden All belongings ground to dust With open palms we return Back to the heart of the earth
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