Just a Thought : Thirty

No matter how satisfied you feel
With what you've achieved
All the hard work you've put in
A sense of entitlement creeping in

There's that one honest, humbling moment in a day
When you realise how blessed and lucky you are
And that one grateful moment makes all the difference

Embrace Sorrow

Most of us spend the bulk of our lives in the pursuit of happiness. As a result we shy away from anything that brings us sorrow or try to avoid those situations. As an optimist I would try to look at the positive side of all situations and drive away all negativity.  Putting up a brave face in such situations is also something that most “positive thinking” people would suggest.

Though this is what even I would do but embracing sorrow at times is not such a bad idea. Loosening the tough façade and exposing the emotions can actually do wonders at times. Just like yin and yang, happiness and sorrow go hand in hand and together the two can do wonders.

I’m not suggesting that one becomes a grieving bore, all I’m suggesting is that embrace the difficult times with equal graciousness as the good times as both are equally important in building one’s personality, character and “core memories”. This concept is very beautifully shown in the movie – “Inside Out” and I recommend that everyone should watch the movie.

P.S. :  Keep smiling as it’s contagious but don’t be shy to shed a tear once in a while        

23 years on...

25 March 1992, it’s been 23 years when I first stepped into the world of Welham and what a journey it has been. Dishing out something I wrote in 2003

The river flowed by

The birds flew high

The quite surroundings

Compelled a lady into thinking

To think of an institution

Which would shower perfection

An institution where a privileged lot

Will spend time that one can forget not

Generations have taken beautiful memories

Standing testimony to which are these long standing trees

The home away from home is truly awesome

It’s none other but a place called Welham

Just a Thought: Twenty Nine

The most drenched out wretched day can be turned around

By a heart-felt caring smile

Make someone’s day .. J

Jekyll or Hyde

The moment slyly creeps in

Drowning out all the din

The stony silence leaves you alone  

Staring at the fence

The illusion of similarity unnerves you

With grey on both the sides

The thin line in between is shouting aloud

Choose … Jekyll or Hyde

No Quid Pro Quo

I sincerely believe that one of the true tests of a person is the attitude of the person towards someone from whom he/she can derive no personal gain/ favour or towards someone who is lower in stature (either position wise, socially or economically). One always exhibits the best behavior when dealing with someone from whom one can derive some value but the true colours are shown when you deal with someone from whom you can derive no personal benefit.

The attitude with which we deal with our helps at home or the cab driver, the lift-man etc. go a long way in showing the depth of our character. The easiest thing is to get swayed away as one progresses in life but it's difficult to remember that at the end of the day everyone goes back in the same box. So go out there and be empathetic, even if you don't derive any personal gain. You never know when you might be at the other side.     

Singular Focus

Often in life we are driven by certain goals for which we go that extra mile. It’s like a dream which has been relived, practiced and thought about numerous times. It’s something which always brings a smile when one is thinking about it and brings in a fresh lease of energy in one’s actions.

What it also does at times is that it brings about a singular kind of focus in one’s actions which makes one feel that everything apart from their achievement of the goal is trivial. The pursuit of the goal can lead to neglecting many aspects of life and may take one away from the very things that actually matter. However, the realisation of the same is always a bit too late and by the time the realisation set’s in, the things that matter are far away and the goal very close.

A scene from “Up in the air” actually captures the emotion very well when George Clooney becomes the 7^th person in American Airlines history to accumulate a million miles. He’s been thinking about the day and working towards it all his life but when the moment actually comes he’s at a loss for words. Maybe even wondering if it was all worth it.

Maybe it never is, but that's a subjective call and I'll leave it at that