The dying embers of a passion

A long time ago, I used to look forward to what people think about my opinions and thoughts expressed on this blog. I knew I had a voice, but here is where a few people heard it. More importantly, I could pen down the thoughts that I had on my mind. 

As funny as it may sound, but I do not value my opinion as much. It has at times helped me improve because people tend to blow their self images out of the roof, but in the long term I think I have suffered more.

Letting your self image be dependent on the opinions and behavior of others is a very risky proposition. More often than not, anyone driving your self image will always do so for his or her benefit. Once, I acknowledged the fact that after living for more than a couple of decades on this blessed planet, I did not take the effort of creating a self image myself.

And just like that, I realize the reason to why people of my age ask this question to themselves
 "Who Am I?". Heartening as it is to know that there are more of your kind around, not many have answers to this question and continue to find happiness in other avenues. I am no one to judge what is right and what is not, but to me not knowing yourself is criminal.

The introspection told me something I always knew. I am a rebel, a rebel to who I become. I constantly rip my belief system for a new one, I look like I flow with the tide, only to reach somewhere different to where others have reached despite embarking on the same path.

Some might call this eccentric, unpredictable and to some extent it is just that. But this isn't a crime, it is who I am. While I would like to change some aspects of myself, i realize that treasuring what is essentially me is paramount to the entire exercise.

Once the edges are smoothed out, I think this rebel living with me will be ready to go.

Good Luck to him

The power of your words

In today’s world we communicate a lot more than we actually do a task. That’s what a connected world is on the contrary to the adverts by technology giants, where everything is easier and every-one knows everything. Sorry folks, but today, the technology has brought us closer because it is easier to stay in touch.

Statistics and data is all important, but the real thing is an actual connection. I would trust a set of numbers more, if it is a friend sharing those to me. And that is the case with so many more. So here is the thought that lead me to write this post. Our words are way more important than the importance we give them.

The words you say today, could be the basis on which a decision is taken by the guy next to you. It could be the reason for a person to hate another, and so on. Today, because of this connected world we live in, everyone has his/her own watering hole for sharing comments, thoughts, news. That watering hole could be facebook, twitter or some other social media platform which I am not aware of. See your single status could possibly be looked on by the number of friends in your account and further by their friends.

Imagine, if you have 500 friends in your friend list and each friend has additional 200 friends. A single post of yours could be read by a hundred thousand people. That is the equivalent of a city. Have we measured our thoughts to understand this impact of our words?

When I say India is intolerant, my words could change the thoughts of a town in Pakistan, where they think that India is hell for Muslims. If I say that Muslims are terrorists, a kid growing up in Europe would carry this image in his mind for years. If I say India is not a clean place, people worldwide will keep associating us with snake charmers, muddied roads and what not (A lot of people still carry that image, don’t they?).

What I am coming to is that your words today carry the power to change a life, I dare say change the world. Would you want your words to change the world for the better or worse, would you want the world to hate others or learn to accept every individual the way they are? While there would be difference of opinions, would you want the world to touch arms at every single provocation or learn to sit together and sort it out?

Let me tell you a story. I was in UAE for Eid last year September. I met an uncle of mine after a long time at a mall. I was very glad to see him. He asked me about my whereabouts and all, I told him that I am planning to move to the middle east full time soon, as my parents and brothers are settled out there and it is lonely out here in India.

He said , “All we can do is try. Every day, even today, I try to live the life close to my ideals. I try to make someone else’s life slightly better. Keep trying and sleep peacefully”

I recently heard that he passed away. I would always remember him for his beautiful words, and pray that someday when I am gone, people remember me for the words that I share with them.

 I hope each of us understands the impact of our words are beyond our comprehension and so rather than being discouraged by this, understand that words of encouragement, wisdom and happiness can be shared with the exact hundred thousand people at the click of a mouse.

Live happy, speak happy.

Cheers

Footnote:

Image courtesy:http://drthermanevans.com/

All about second chances

Ted Mosby was right, we all come to a phase when we want to give everything we rejected/denied/hated/ forgot another chance. For me the phase has been on forever. I think I have given everything a second or a third chance already ( Its called having an open mind).

This habit of mine is responsible for me being called "Some people"( a movie quote "Some people never learn". I am one of those some people). I am not a hopeless romantic, I am practical. I behave how I expect others to behave with me.

I believe in second chances because I know I will need a lot of second chances. No one is perfect, but I am a longer way away from being perfect. That doesn't mean that I do not expect perfection or quality, but if the effort is earnest and honest then I am not worried, because going in the right direction is always important.

The reason I am writing this post is not to discuss my quality of forgiving or trying old things again, but to give my self a second chance. A second chance to start writing again. Every now and then we need something new to start an old habit. I have installed Windows 10 and reset my laptop completely and that has given my laptop a new lease of life. I might add a new battery backup to my device as well.

I am not able to write much because, I do not get much time away from work. Every now and then there is an urge to write but I do not have a laptop which I can carry around easily. But does buying a smaller swankier piece of hardware ensure that I write often? The answer is definitely no. So I have decided that only when I start writing more regularly I will not buy anything with the reason to aid my writing.

I guess this is a justifiable ask from myself. After all a second chance cannot be without history.

Here is hoping a revival of my writing again.

Cheers

This is now dead!!

I opened my blogger account today and I realized that all the blogs that I had saved/ would follow have all been erased. Now, this isn't a virus or some kind of error. This is plain neglect on my part. 

There were days when I would read my own blog three or four times to ensure that I haven't made a mistake or have got my thoughts out in an appropriate manner. But now , my entire reading list is gone and god knows from when, and I have no idea. 

It is my fault, that I let this blog of mine die and let it die a slow death. I would start thinking of writing a post, but never write it. I thought of reading posts from fellow bloggers but wouldn't. Was I always so busy with work ? with friends? the answer is no.

I have a tendency to isolate myself every now and then. I prefer my solitude, but the more I understand myself, the more I hate the fact that there is more to me going into a shell that I made for myself. 

I suffer in this shell of mine and it is not a fantasy world of mine which I live in after I jump down the rabbit hole. But there is this need in me to want my loved ones to come to my shell and knock me out of it. It is that craving for attention or loved that makes me do it. I hope there is more to me than this.

Getting back to the blog, this blog maybe isn't dead  but is in the stupid shell of mine. I hope I can give it the love to come out of it, just the way I have been taken out of mine by my loved ones.

Cheerios!!!

The sun shines on everyone

Every day we wake up, is a little milestone we achieve. With the first touch of the rays of the sun, the story of our lives move on, we move on.

When we look around us, a few happy faces smiling back , some grumpy faces and a sad face, we know it is the small world we live in. As human beings the emotions are limited but the depths of each are endless and that is the true nature of our existence; the depths we reach in every breath we take.

But, if that was all , life would be just the count of the breaths we take till we are no more breathing. I know, its much more than that.We all know its much more than that. It is also about those around you.

Each of us are affected by the people around you and conversely all around us are influenced by us. It is like this huge motorway where each one of us knowingly or unknowingly come into each others paths or share the paths in our journey. Some might be pleasant and some are not.

Let me ask you a question, when we are driving on a motorway, more often than not we make it to our destination, don't we? We have an occasional skirmish, or unpleasant incident but we make it. And if we do have that one unpleasant incident, our journey is remembered for that one unpleasant incident or the smiles we have when we reach our destination?

Its the same way with life, we remember that one person that made us sad, that one person who mattered but didn't live up; but shouldn't we be glad that one person was there?

Shouldn't it remind us that , that one person is exactly the reason why we are humans, why we take breaths of varying depths? Isn't that one person the reason for the smiles on some faces? on your face?

I am not saying anything new, just saying that there is good in this world and only good. There is no bad, just like oxygen, we thrive on good and the non-existence of good makes us feel 'bad'. But that's not true, all it takes is a little 'good' to bring everything back to normal and it isn't difficult.

I have been blessed with a little good at all times and that has been largely due to all the blessed people around me who knowingly or unknowingly have given that little good to me, never letting the good vanish from my life.And that is what I( you, all of us) are about.

So, do not worry, do not frown, the sun shines on everyone

Chain mail et al

I get all kind of emails, some talking about the atrocities of some unknown government in an unknown land, a girl saying that we are compatible (how shaadi.com...how?) and should meet up, other ladies simply flaunting the assets they paid for and well some are downright...ummm stupid? And no! The stupid kinds are not my phone/ credit card / yada yada yada bills ( they are important..well maybe)

The stupid kinds, OK I will find a new word for it before the end of this post, are those which say that be careful before you read. Curiosity kills the cat and I open the email. It contains a picture. And then I regret opening the email. It has the power to change my world for good or worse.

The picture is of some god, saint or god knows what. It is supposed to get me good luck, if I share it with say 10 people. But hey, if you want more luck you can share it with 20 people, 30 people if you want even more luck and guess if I share it with a 10000000 I will be Bill Gates! The world is a good place again.

And I know a lot of us get these emails and we know there is a catch. If you do not send it then the whatever in the picture gets angry (oh you don’t want these things angry do you?) The wheels turn anti clockwise and you end up getting bad luck (cue...Goosebumps!). Some of the emails even give examples of people who pissed them off, trust me; some of the victims get so unlucky that they aren't even unlucky anymore.

So here we stand at a crossroad wondering which road we want to take and then I see a light bulb slowly flickering to life. What if, I start one of these? With a picture of my ahem ahem...and send it around? You never know who might end up getting lucky you know (I hope it’s me!)

But then wouldn't forwarding the email I get just do? Why take all the efforts? That’s it then! let’s just forward these emails and hope you get luckier, richer than the richest and hope these emails don’t reach the already rich and they get richer than what we end up at.

Have a nice weekend guys and gals!

PS: Yes I couldn't find a word for the stupid emails, any suggestions

A new country- Thoughts at midnight

In the modern times, its not very rare for us to be moving around countries. It is a luxury which was um imaginable a decade or so earlier in our part of the world. Well I have enjoyed the benefit of our time. I have moved to Singapura.

A lovely country with discipline deeply engraved in the ethos of every person here, is a welcome change to the largely chaotic and charming country of mine, India. The weather is predictably unpredictable out here, with rains visiting this island city at its whims and fancies. But what all of us would appreciate about this country is that, the country hasn't been taken aback by all the issues it has. The country has simply accepted what it can't change and moved on to do what it can do best. It is not a surprise that the country is doing so well with its residents going places.

Again, I am not sure how many people will be reading this, and if you have read this, you would accept that this isn't a planned post. I just happen to wake up and wanting to write something desperately, let the thoughts flow.

I hope I get to meet some of the bloggers here. Do drop me a word if any one of you guys are here

Cheers!