Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.
Henri Nouwen
100 Days of Gratitude
If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is “thank you,” that would suffice. – Meister Eckhart
Starting a series for 100 days of gratitude #100daysOfGratitude. For next 100 days – everyday will pick up a blessing in my life and feel gratitude. My way of counting my blessings and abundance that this universe has bestowed on me. These will be in no particular order of priority but based on the first thoughts that come to me mind on “what i am thankful for”.
Starting this series with a excerpt from “The Secret – Daily Teachings” – Day 2
Starting this series with a excerpt from “The Secret – Daily Teachings” – Day 2
To change your life fast, use gratitude to shift your energy. When you put all of your energy into gratitude, you will see miracles take place in your life. To change things quickly, commit to writing 100 things you are grateful for each day, until you see the change. And FEEL the gratitude. Your power is in the FEELING that you put into words of gratitude.
#100daysOfGratitude-Day0
I am grateful for the opportunity to read great stuff and also platform to pen my thoughts and share.
Coincidence or work of my Angel
The Valkyries – Paulo Coelho
Page 141 – “The gates to Paradise have been reopened”, he said. “God banished the angel with the burning sword who was at the gate. For some time – no one is certain for how long – anyone can enter, since it was obvious that the gates are open”
18th July 2016 – Vatican City – St Peter;’s Basilica
As we are going to enter the Basilica – our guide tells us that the holy doors (which are supposed to be opened every 25 years – last one being in 1999 and next time – 2025, are open as this year has been marked as “The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy”.
Coincidence – I read the book only 1 week back and Paulo has written the first copy of book in
Portuguese in 1992. I felt such an eerie feeling hearing those words from guide. I am not Christian and have no concept of Holy Doors, My visit to Rome and St Peters was purely out of tourism reasons and no spiritual attachment. But felt humbled and awestruck walking through those doors.
Those who have not read the book, the book is about how angels are always guiding us and we need to silence ourselves to hear and talk to our angels. Was this my angel who made me bought this book, just days before my planned trip to Rome?
Love …… I love you more than I hate everything else
Happiness is the most insidious prison of all ……..
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You’ve been in a prison all your life. Happiness is a prison. Happiness is the most insidious prison of all …….. |
Why is there so much obsession with being Happy? Why is being Happy the most sought after state? Isn’t fixation with happiness also constraining? Why do we need to always seek happiness, what is wrong with other states of mind since those are also pure emotions?
The capacity to be alone is the capacity to love
True Feminist ………. lead protagonist of Movie Piku
Yesterday watched the much talked about movie Piku and was not disappointed. The movie is beautiful depiction of a girl, the only child to a widowed father, trying to strike a balance between her life and the expectations of her father.
What really stood out for me was the character of Amitabh Bachchan as Bhaskor (the grumpy hypochondriac) as a true feminist (though for his own selfish reasons).
- He had such strong views on his daughter and women in general to have strong identity and purpose and not to sacrifice themselves on the stereotype expectation on the gender
- His expectation as a parent to be taken care of by his child is not clouded by gender of his child. That is true equality. If he as parent has not dished out any unequal treatment to his child then his expectation is truly valid and just.
- He doesn’t have any double standards on the way men and women should live their lives. He is totally ok with his daughter not being virgin and having casual relationship with her friend (which scores of Indian parents are ok with when it is Son Vs daughter)
I always get into discussion & debates with my friends and colleagues on the notion of Feminism. People confuse feminism with gender and somehow this concept has become a curse word. Feminism is a ideology that Women are (and read NOT more or less) equal to Men. And like any ideology it is gender agnostic. And it has been beautifully exhibited in the movie Piku.
Will pen down my thoughts on what Feminism means to me in my next post.
When Love Arrives ……..
Stumbled upon the spoken poetry videos of Sarah Kay on TED and have been absolutely hooked on to her since then…….
This is one of her finest pieces :
When Love Arrives
Sarah Kaye and Phil Kaye
Love will tell you you’re beautiful …… but even if it forgets …. that is when your love for yourself is so important 🙂 Love yourself!
And Love will tell you, “You are beautiful.” …………… And mean it. ….Over and over again,
“You are beautiful.” ………………………………………When you first wake up,
“You are beautiful.” ………………………………………When you’ve just been crying,
“You are beautiful.” ……………………………………… When you don’t want to hear it,
“You are beautiful.” ……………………………………… When you don’t believe it,
“You are beautiful.” ……………………………………… When nobody else will tell you,
“You are beautiful.” ……………………………………… Love still thinks,
“You are beautiful.” ………………………………………
But love is not perfect, and will sometimes forget, when you need to hear it most,
“You are beautiful.” ………………………………….- Do not forget this.
Welcome Love when it comes and say a graceful thanks when it is time for love to leave.
Maybe Love stays.
Maybe Love can’t.
Maybe Love shouldn’t.
Love arrives exactly when Love is supposed to.
And Love leaves exactly when Love must.
When Love arrives, say, “Welcome, make yourself comfortable.”
If Love leaves, ask her to leave the door open behind her,
turn off the music,
listen to the quiet,
whisper, “Thank you for stopping by.”
Seeing your parents turn old ……. can’t accept!
In recent past the most discerning and uncomfortable sight has been seeing pics of my parents these days. I know this is universal truth and they are ageing as the days pass by … but my mind doesn’t seem to reconcile to that fact. I mean not my parents … they can’t be old !!!!
Somehow when I am face to face with them it doesn’t bother me .. because my mom is as energetic as ever and dad has also not changed. But somehow mysteriously ….. the age, the tiredness of life, the wrinkles .. creep into their pics. And I simply can’t force myself to look at their recent pic more than a sweeping glance before this nagging discomfort tugs at my heart.
How can my dad .. who was most handsome stud during his college years, an accomplished athlete, strong and full of energy .. ever look so old? He was my superhero while I was growing up. Nobody .. simply nobody , could ever even come close second to him. More than times I can recall he has punched roadside Romeos who tried to act fresh with any female member of our family … he could hitch us on all on his back and cross the flooded street so that his little princesses doesn’t wet their feet or spoil their dresses. For me he is always superhero … full of energy, strength and fearless.
How can my mom .. the one with such beauty and poise .. ever look old? Till date I am yet to come across any person who has overflowing energy, tireless pace and selfless love (and believe me its just not me .. any person who has ever been in touch with her would vouch for that). She more than successfully juggled successful career (doctor), motherhood (5 children and all brats), ever welcoming hostess (to a house always overflowing with guests), homemaker (cooking, washing, cleaning, sewing, knitting, …), family doctor to all near and distant (and even friends of those distant relatives) , …….. still not able to figure out where she got all that energy.
Wish I had some time machine of sort or better magic to keep time still. Would give anything and trade all I have … to keep my parents as they are … untouched by age …..
Freedom and Safety in Madness
And I have found both freedom and safety in my madness; the freedom of loneliness and the safety of from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us …….. Khalil Gibran
Reflections 