Be a Dreamer!!

I am a dreamer and you should be one too,
Because if i dont dream, how can it have remotest possibility of being true.

Dream because you have no choice,
It keeps you hopeful and touches your inner voice.

Dream can be a wish or a nightmare,
Hold the wish and chuck the nightmare, as it can cause only despair.

Believe that wishes will come true,
If they wouldn't, why would they have come to you?

Forgiving your enemy

“You know that girl sitting in the corner” yelled my friend sitting across me in a hotel, “She ditched me when I was in 11^th standard and went around with another friend of mine. As he said this, his face fell and he was fuming with anger. The delicious pizza which he was feasting on before he saw that girl did not interest him further. Our conversation which was climbing high altitudes of life, career, health had started dropping to lowest depths of anger, frustration and irritation.  But there you are, the reason for misery – the girl who ditched him sipping her coffee and giggling away with her friends.  A simple thought crossed my mind – having so much hatred towards somebody when the other person is enjoying and hardly aware of your anger, is it really worth it?

When you ask someone to forgive somebody, what is the initial reaction you get? “Why should I forgive her, you don’t know what she has done to me?  I will not leave her” But my dear do you know what you have done to yourself because of this? Your fertile brain which could have been invested for your good health and wealth has been infected by your hatred and anger. Some might argue that hatred gives direction and motive in life. If that is the case, wouldn’t have countries like Syria, Iraq and Pakistan be the world’s most developed and successful countries.  A mind devoid of any hatred and anger is always creative as well as productive.

It’s really a pity that a person with anger and hatred is really looked up to nowdays. A messenger of peace and nonviolence is typecasted as weak and passive. If that is the case, a thin, frail and bespectacled person with a stick in his hands wouldn’t have got us Independence. When we had so many aggressive freedom fighters during that time, it was only Mahatma Gandhi whom they  finally gave into. Being peaceful, doesn’t mean being passive. As Sri Sri Ravishankar says “Patience in mind and Dynamism in action”. Right action comes to your mind only when you are at peace.

Hatred is a slow poison, it might give a pleasure feeling that you are achieving something, but in longer run, it eats you up from within.

Makes me Wonder….

 

In this fast paced life where everything is a race, sometimes it really makes me wonder so many things.

Have you ever wondered?
Why penny in my pocket is more important than smile on my face?
Why watching TV is more important than spending time with your parents?

Why wishing a friend on a phone on a birthday is easier than wishing a friend personally?

Why is watching a movie more relaxing than strolling in a garden?

Why is going to a gym more fashionable than doing yoga and meditation?

Why am I doing whatever I am doing in my life?

These whys lead you towards happy and peaceful mind. But there are some other whys which lead you to the other way. Wondered what they are:

Why has been god unkind to me?

Why is that person so evil towards me?

Why this world has become such a bad place to live in?

Why shall I call him, when he doesn’t call me?

Why should I be good when others have been bad to me?

Why should I care for the country when it has given nothing to me?

And the complaints go on?

So the next time you think a “Why”, think which side the why is leading?

After reading this article, did you feel “why I read this article?” or “ why dint I read it earlier?”.

 

Happy Teachers Day!!

A day full of gratefulness
A student without a teacher is celebration without happiness
Thank you for being so patient with me
I know at times you must have felt to pull my ears and slap me
Cant believe my luck that you still stood by me
When the world said I was hopeless
You said i was a gem that was priceless
A promise is what i can give you
Will spread to the world the knowledge given by you
Words cannot describe how special you are
I can just bow down and whisper to god, what have i done to deserve a great teacher that you are?  

The Inner Path

Hatred, jealousy and ego - the 3 devils in the mind are making lives miserable for people all over the world.  Such an intense wish to teach somebody a lesson and taking revenge is taking a toll on their lives itself. An “evil happiness” arises in us when we see our enemies suffering. A sense of relief rises in us when our competitor fails in some activity.  Are these feelings really worth it? Do I wish to really die being puppet of such feelings?

 There is nobody in this world except God who can say that I have never experienced these feelings. But very few think to get rid of it. Many people are not even aware that these feelings are driving their lives. What a waste of life?? I would say it’s a path of self destruction. The feeling of self-fulfillment can never be achieved on such a path. So how do I get rid of these negative emotions in my life? Do I have to suffer or is there a way out?

Mind can be only enriched when it is at peace and peace can only arise when it is in deep rest. The word “Rest” brings only one thing in mind – Sleep. So will long stretches of sleep help me attain peace? The answer is a Big No. Sleep is a nature’s forceful way to make us rest. When you are tired, there is no other way but to sleep. To give mind a self induced rest, there is an age-old and forgotten technique called “Meditation”. Meditation is experiencing that inner peace that was lost due to our struggle with the outside world.  When the Mind gets a deep rest it was waiting for, the strangle hold of the 3 devils of the mind are loosened. This breathing space allows the mind to develop divine qualities of creativity, self confidence, forgiveness etc. These qualities increase the quality of our life. All are existing on this planet but are they living? This basic question can turn us towards inner peace.

So rush and learn Meditation from the nearest Art of Living Center near you.  Please don’t postpone to attain the highest priority in your life – inner peace.

*The knowledge described in the blog is from the teachings of my guru Sri Sri Ravishankar and my mentors in Art of living with whom I have worked. It’s my way of saying thanks and expressing gratitudeJ.

Traffic Managment By Volunteer for better India

On 11^th May 2013, the Volunteer for Better India (VBI) Mulund team organized a road safety campaign at two signals - Bhandup Sonapur junction and Panch Raasta.  This venture was held in collaboration with the Mumbai Traffic police and was aptly named “Mind your vehicle”. VBI Mumbai was invited to initiate this project on 6^th May by  Mr J.K Bhatia, chief secretary of Maharashtra. Since then various rallies have been conducted by VBI across whole of Mumbai.

Volunteers positioned at the two signals,  displayed placards with messages like – Wear helmets while driving, follow traffic rules, don’t cut lanes etc while the signal was on. Later, a few of them distributed car pledge hangers to all the commuters that contained rules for responsible driving. Before the signal would turn green, the volunteers moved away to avoid disrupting the traffic. They also promptly spoke to the commuters who were without helmets and asked them to wear it for their safety. They also reminded the traffic policemen to urge the commuters not to the cross the zebra crossing while at the signal.

The volunteers received a lot of appreciation from the local traffic policemen and the commuters for taking up this project. Traffic jams are one of the cause of worries in every Mumbaikars life. The VBI team did its bit in clearing the traffic by educating people about safe and responsible driving.

Mumbai Meri Jaan!!

As I get ready to relocate to Bangalore to work with HP (Hewlett and Packard), I am having mixed feelings leaving Mumbai. I remember the days in school and college when I used to dream of flying to different parts of the world but now I realize that I have become so much attached to my motherland. 

Growing up in Mumbai is one of the most cherished years of my life. I wouldn’t have played the most enjoyable games of the world like Saakli, Laghori, Kho-kho and Lappa chuppi if I was not brought up in Mumbai. Those interesting and hard fought cricket games after school under the hot afternoon sun are truly unforgettable. Mumbai invented words in cricket like kaccha limbu, sarpatti that even Bradman was unaware of. Did you know that when a batsman screams “Fast” before the ball hits the bat he cannot be given out? Imagine Dale Steyn steaming in to bowl and Sachin screams “Fast” and refuses to leave the field even if the ball hits the stumps. Steyn will be left fuming. It happens only in Mumbai!!!

The day starts pretty early in Mumbai and ends very late. You can see people running to railway station during the morning hours. During this time the ultimate goal is to catch the 8.30 am local. The Olympic race starts with quickly gulping down the breakfast and running like a hare towards the station. If you get late by 2 minutes, your eyes start searching for rickshaw. If the rickshaw driver doesn’t agree to come, you start emotionally blackmailing him ” Chalo na bhaiya, late ho gaya hai”. At the end when you miss the train by a whisker, the expression on the face is worth seeing in the mirror. It feels like you have lost the battle of life. You say to yourself “ Mere saath hamesha aisa hi hota hai”.    

The food here is something to die for. There are many Khao gallis in all corners of the city. All working people jam pack the roadside thellas (shops) during the evening time. You can see people sweating and eating  hot dosas and Chinese food. It is commendable to see their resilience to eat even under such unfavorable conditions. This is what is called as Mumbai Spirit!! During the cricket match people gather in large numbers near a TV shop and cheer for every wicket and run. O Mumbai. I am going to miss you!!

Apart from Mumbai, I will also be missing my family and friends. They have made me what I am right now. Although I am sad to leave Mumbai, I am quite excited to meet new people and exploring Bangalore culture. Wherever I go, I will always be called a “Mumbaikar”.