rakpoddar awaken , hi

Rakpoddar

 

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How are you rakpoddar awaken?

Rakpoddar https://www.google.com/url?q=hTtPS%3A%2f%2f5t0%2eeu%2f%2fyX835pal&sa=D&wd=59192917&pj=525354100&usg=AFQjCNGK6WuPS8sLX8cNSXR2d-EO_WwWSg&jp=32382375 Rakesh

My fish in the aquarium

I look at you bubbles, and sometimes wonder whether you are as happy here, in my small aquarium, as compared to your friends and family in the recesses of the deep blue sea or ocean. I wonder... but find no answer. Do you find the same joy with the plastic adornments and plants as you would find with the real plants blooming in the ocean bed? I find no answer. My anxious mind travels far and wide and I start wondering - what is real? where is the line between fantasy and reality. Is reality a belief. If 100 people believe that the plastic flowers in my aquarium are real, are they really real? Is truth a matter of the number of people believing in it or is it a perception. Bubbles might never realize that these plants are not real, that the is not the sea. However, is this ignorance might be a bliss ?



I think our perception of the world comes to down to what we believe is the world. Our beliefs are developed based on what we see, hear, smell - basically any interaction with the outside world via our senses. For my bubbles, the world is that little aquarium.Or again, am I wrong here? Bubbles understand that this is a unreal, virtual world and it is forced to stay here. I doubt that is the case, as a pain in the heart definitely shows on the face. And they seem happy! Often I am filled with amazement as how the color of my fishes changes with various emotions. One of them is bright blue when happy and free, when left to be on its own, to room around the small aquarium at its will. And another moment it becomes pale and lifeless when a naughty kid puts his finger inside the aquarium to touch the fishes.

I believe the fishes are happy here. However, the fact remains - there is a world out there which my fishes will never see...

Hibernation ?

Finally my mind emerges from hibernation.. Yes, that is how I describe my silence... Where had the fire vanished or was I too busy in mundane stuffs of life to listen to that inner voice and pen down my thoughts here, which I have always been doing? Sometimes, in life we take a break and then it really takes long to make a comeback.. right.. sometimes the chasm makes us the emerge as more strong an individual, however, at times a period of inactivity may tend to weaken our strength and self-confidence. We should remember, life is a journey... Take rest if necessary, but ultimately keep going... Let the fire keep burning within as that fire is "LIFE"

Today, had been a sad day... Andhra Pradesh lost its Chief Minister. The news was confirmed today after hours of disappearance of the leader. The sad incident once again points to the fragility of life... the uncertainty which always remain..the unexpected.. Living on this beautiful planet, how we tend to forget, that one day we all need to take that journey, to that unknown destination... where we all have to travel alone.. we tend to forget that everything is transient.. Truly "Nothing lasts forever". However, friends lets now get negatively impacted by this bitter truth.. Keeping in mind this fact, we need to focus on today.. now.. this moment.. which is truly ours... that is one of my beliefs - "Life is a collection of moments, live each one as if the very next one might be your last" Live life to the fullest ! One day when I lie on the purple altar of death, and my entire life tends to flash on my inward eye, like a movie, I want to smile and say to myself : 'I gave each moment, something to keep in store, I put my best into each small moment of my life and in turn each moment gave me my little share of happiness and joy, thus my life became a tale of happiness'.

I brought flowers for my birthday...

It was my birthday and I brought myself a bunch of beautiful flowers... Wondering? why would anyone get flowers for his own self... Flowers are generally always brought for others.. friends, beloved, family...any one, least likely by someone for himself...
Speaking about myself, I love flowers... they make me alive. Truly they light up my face...Like a rainbow, a sweet smile flashes on my face on the sight of flowers. I keep hoping someone will give me a flower.. on friendship's day, birthday, valentine's day...deep down in the recesses of mind there lies a secret wish, a hope that... wish I get a flower today...
It is a trivial wish, which, even if not fulfilled doesn't harm me in any way...However, why do I expect others to fulfill that one wish of mine, when I myself can do so... Thats why I brought flowers for myself on my birthday. To make me happy.

Friends,this is one basic reason why we lead an unhappy life... We expect lot from others, from the people around us, from friends and loved ones, but we expect least from us. We ignore that it is "I" who is responsible for my happiness. It is "ME" who can ultimately make a difference in my life. "ME" who has the power to bring sunshine to my life.

The incident which I narrated was a mundane one..however, the learning is deep. The more we limit our expectations from others and from life, the happier we become. You know why? It is because we become liberated, limitless and free. We are free from the worry.."What if this doesnt happen", "What if he doesnt respond in that way".
Soar high into the sky on the wings of imagination, dream and hope and a confidence on yourself, a believe that you are your best and most reliable friend.. That is life, my friend...

Another thing, which I wanted to share...Imagine you have a huge garden in front of you.. beautiful flowers dancing in the breeze. Red roses, gladiolus, gerbera, cosmos, daffodils... as far as your eyes can travel, a host of bright, beautiful flowers stretch before you. Now, I ask, pluck flowers for yourself. Make a bouquet for yourself. Believe me, it is much more difficult to choose the flowers and make a bouquet for yourself than it would be to make a collection for others.. Funny right... However, thats exactly what I felt when I was at the florist, trying to pick my favorite flowers...Sometimes, we know ourselves very little. In an effort to please the world and in an endless pursuit of happiness and joy, we tend to ignore that the true way to joy,peace and fulfillment is to know ourselves as best as we can, to continuously strive towards becoming a better person. The journey of self actualization,realization and liberation is the path which leads us to the the ultimate final destination: an abode of happiness, serenity and peace. A state in which the soul breaks from the bondage of worldly emotions and materialistic pursuits.

Now, I see a beautiful bouquet in front of my eyes... the bright flowers promising hope, joy and love even in life's winter. The bright yellow gerbera which promises me that though it might be cloudy today, tomorrow is yet to come, a tomorrow full of sunshine...the red rose, which reminds of of the numerous people whose love is the driving force of my life... the togetherness and support of near and dear ones, which has and will give me the power to cross every bridge of my life. The sweet smell of the "Rajnigandha" which silently speaks to me, though tomorrow someone precious may not be there in my life, the memories will still remain. The fragrance of beautiful moments will continue to adorn my life till eternity. The thorns which depict that life is not a bed of roses, each of us have our share of problems and worries... however, we have to make our way through.. and the green leaves which make my mind fly on the wings of imagination to witness the beauty of Mother Earth, the nature, which continues to teach us something new, every moment we care to listen.

Thats my collection, My bouquet of life.. which wishes me "Happy Birthday" and whisper "
Limitless mind... lets soar higher and higher..."

When life knocks you down........

Life is a journey, a ride full of ups and downs, twists and turns... In the course of life, often something unexpected happens, something which knocks us down.... something which shakes our faith and confidence. We can never control what will happen to us, but what really is in our hands is : how we react to it. Do we choose to fight back meaning try and stand up again or do we choose to lie back and make no attempts at all.

I remember reading a quote:

“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up.” --- Les Brown

I feel its very true to look up always, dream for the moon and if the endeavor does fail, you land on the stars. Sometimes in order to truly become best we need to fall multiple times, learn from our falls and experiences. Experience is the best teacher, however , the way it teaches is difficult. Ultimately, its a matter of choice, do we choose to learn and move forward, or to ponder on our mistakes and the past. How much ever we want we cannot stops the needles of time; it is always best to move forward.

I recall reading an article about giraffes, a beautiful illustration of how the animal falls multiple times and finally learns to stand on its feet.

"Bringing a giraffe into the world is a tall order. A baby giraffe falls 10 feet from its mother's womb and usually lands on its back. Within seconds it rolls over and tucks its legs under its body. From this position it considers the world for the first time and shakes off the last vestiges of the birthing fluid from its eyes and ears. Then the mother giraffe rudely introduces its offspring to the reality of life. In his book, A View from the Zoo, Gary Richmond describes how a newborn giraffe learns its first lesson. The mother giraffe lowers her head long enough to take a quick look. Then she positions herself directly over her calf. She waits for about a minute, and then she does the most unreasonable thing. She swings her long, pendulous leg outward and kicks her baby, so that it is sent sprawling head over heels. When it doesn't get up, the violent process is repeated over and over again. The struggle to rise is momentous. As the baby calf grows tired, the mother kicks it again to stimulate its efforts. Finally, the calf stands for the first time on its wobbly legs. Then the mother giraffe does the most remarkable thing. She kicks it off its feet again. Why? She wants it to remember how it got up. In the wild, baby giraffes must be able to get up as quickly as possible to stay with the herd, where there is safety. Lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild hunting dogs all enjoy young giraffes, and they'd get it too, if the mother didn't teach her calf to get up quickly and get with it."


One thing which I find worth mentioning here is, its really important to look up in order to get back up again!!! Looking up implies looking forward to your dreams and desires... the beautiful tomorrow that you dream of, the purpose and passion that is the fuel of your life.
Also friends, it not only about dreaming, its about working towards the achievement of your dreams.

I recently watched a Hindi movie, and one incident in the movie was a catalyst to my thought process on this line. The movie was by Farhan Akhtar "Luck, by chance". In the movie, Farhan and Konkana go for shopping for household grocery and happen come across a fridge, which is the prize of a competition in which the participants have to give a caption for the fridge. Konkana is very reluctant in making an entry thinking out of the millions of entries what are the chances of hers becoming the lucky one. At this point Farhan mentions: If you dont make an entry there are 0% chances of you winning the contest.
I believe success is sometimes like a lottery ticket, the first step that you need to take is "buy the ticket" :) . Unless you buy the ticket there are "O" chances of you winning the lottery.

We may sometimes crib about the life we lead, about what god has given us and complain how he has been so unfair. Whenever, such a thought makes its way to your mind, pause, my friend, take a glance around and look around to numerous examples of how people have carved their way to success inspite of their limitations and drawbacks, how they have transformed their dreams into reality by the sheer power of belief, courage and confidence... with the "Never Give Up" spirit.
I understand what I write here may sound worthless and all bookish stuff to many. However, I saw a video recently and it really made me think twice... It made me fall in love again with my life... To life live and learn to be happy. I am sure the video will have a lasting impression on all of you and will leave you speeachless for a moment....Truly it does not matter how you start, what matters is how you finish....

People are like stained-glass windows......

People are like stained-glass windows.....They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within....

I remember coming across this quote several times.... however, today it made me pause and think...my mind wanted to seek the meaning of this true and beautiful quote...
One thing which I realized was, how blind we actually are to the world around us.. We keep moving in quest of money, fame , riches... in search of life and happiness and fail to take a look deep inside us, fail to realize our inner self, fail to liberate our souls from the chains of materialistic possessions, we fail to realize that all this will be left behind that one day, when we start the journey to our heavenly abode.

As we grow we get more and more entangled in the chains of materialism, drawn as a magnet towards worldly attractions and start moving further and further away from spiritualism and the Almighty. We become like the musk deer, who searches for 'Kasturi', madly, rooming here and there; failing to realize that it is actually within himself. And when the journey of life finally ends... at the purple altar of death, I suppose, we realize the futility of our materialistic endeavors... Anyways, coming back to the original point, I decided to keep my eyes open, keep my mind receptive and my senses alert to the world and learn from Universe, the greatest University. Be willing to learn, think, take an inward journey of self realization and self actualization and to finally work towards liberating my soul.. We are humans, so we cant expect ourselves to completely de-attach ourselves from materialistic possessions, name and fame. However, we must always keep in mind that nothing lasts forever....nothing is permanent.. nothing really belongs to us... as we come alone and leave alone... that's the truth and we will have to except it and live with it..

The quote beautifully reflects that what lies before us and what lies behind us is immaterial when compared to what lies within us. I remember my early school days at Carmel, Durgapur and recall how our motto was "Let your light shine". If there is light within no matter what happens there will always be a halo of light around us. If we do not have that light, when the clouds of distress tend to darken our lives, it will be difficult for us to sail through.
The world bears witness to the fact that for liberated souls their is no stoppage. They are liberated.. meaning they are free from the bondage of fear and loss... The light within may not mean living the life of a saint.. its ultimately our mindset... cultivating the virtues of mankind within is the "LIGHT". Then whether you are saint or a normal human being - a family person, it doesn't matter. We are the torchbearers in the journey of life... Lets make our virtues and base so strong that we are able to meet each and every challenge that life throws at our face.
Also the world is made of we- the people... If each one of us works towards the betterment of our inner self, the world would be more peaceful and better place to live in.

Buddha says:
“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.”

Beauty without virtue is like a rose without smell. I urge myself to take a step towards cultivating virtues as a part of my character, as I choose not to be a tainted glass.

The RAINBOW

As I child I loved the rainbow... I associated it with the fairy land. On one end,I imagined, there are huge and dangerous giants and on the other end pretty and lovely fairies, who could make any of your wishes come true...Major part of this imagination was triggered by Enid Blyton's novels which used to set my mind free from the bounds of the real world and travel as far as I wanted.

As I grew up, my perception and thoughts about the Rainbow changed, however, I never stopped loving the Rainbow. Even now, I feel so thrilled and joyous after seeing the rainbow. Love to stare at it in awe and wonder, while my thoughts associated with the "Rainbow" create turmoil in the inner recesses of my mind.

I feel the rainbow is nature's way of expressing that after rough times better days are definitely on their way. Hardships are surely followed by path of roses. How the bright rainbow magically appears on the canvas of the blue sky, after even the worst possible showers. The seven colors symbolizing the beauty and brightness associated with life. The "VIBGYOR" where each color holds its own special meaning .

V: Violet, symbolizes peace and harmony. The harmony of my mind and soul. The inner peace within, which is my most precious possession. Talking about harmony and peace, I remember reading: As per Chinese culture, violet symbolizes peace as it is the combination of red(known as yang) and blue (known as yin)

I: Indigo, symbolizes mystical borderland of wisdom, self-mastery and spiritual realization. Indigo is the color of the deep midnight sky.While blue is the color of communication with others, indigo turns the blue inward, to increase personal thought, profound insights, and instant understandings.

B: Blue is the coolest color, a color which soothes the eyes... the color of the ocean, the blue sky, a color I deeply associated with imagination and dreams.A color associated with my own calm and sweet little world. Yes, it is my favorite color. As I paint a picture, and my brush moves on the rhythm of blue... my thoughts travel to beautiful but sometimes unknown destinations... I sore high on the wings of imagination. Yes, that is the land of my dreams.

G: Green indicates live and vivacity. Green is the color of nature. I associate it with youth and liveliness. I attribute it to growth and prosperity. Here, comes the luxuries we dream about. Money, name and fame. Green : an integral part of life.

Y: Yellow symbolizes purity. Thinking of yellow, a picture of a beautiful, warm, bright and sunny day dawns upon the canvas of my mind.As pure and essential as the life giving sunlight. To me it means sunny days are always on their way. It may be cloudy today, but it can never be cloudy always.

O: Orange is a dynamic color. To me it symbolizes curiosity. Life is an adventure, live it and enjoy it. Explore the world around, explore yourself. There are so many questions answered. Lets take a plunge into the ocean of knowledge. Lets keep exploring, keep moving and keep living. Orange adds fuel to my creativity and imagination.

R: Red is color of passion, the fire within us. The spark which keeps us alive. I deeply associate with love of near and dear ones, which is one of the most integral fuel for our lives. It brings focus to the essence of life and living with emphasis on survival.

That is what the beautiful colors of the rainbow mean to me. May our lives be full of all the colors of the rainbow. Also, I deeply wish; may the rainbow continue to inspire you each time when you see it, as it continues to inspire me till day. Do take the time to spare some time to this beauty of nature, which though common, is one of the most soothing and wonderful natural phenomenon.

As for me, the rainbow will always continue to strengthen my belief on one my favorite proverbs: 'Every cloud has a silver lining'.

With love... to the Rainbow

A bend in the road is not the end of the road... unless you fail to make the turn

Life is a voyage, a journey full of mystery, adventure, passion, love and affection of near and dear ones. Its a song which each heart has to sing, but the notes are different.

As we undertake this journey of life, there are several twists and turns. There are some sunny as well as some cloudy days. As we walk on a road, at times we may encounter a bend in road. Does the bend end the road? Certainly not, similarly in our voyage on the highway of our lives, there may be bends and twists, circumstances which tend to lower our spirits and passion, situations which tend to extract all our strengths, which tend to shake our belief and faith. However, should we become a victim and surrender ourselves to the adverse conditions? We need to take the turn... a positive turn to recharge ourselves.

There is no denying that sometimes the clouds of grief and depression do make their way into our lives, but we must keep the fire within us burning... The spark alive. We should continuously add fuel to that spark, cause once the spark is lost, we are left lifeless, we breath and eat but we are no longer "ALIVE".

One question which might dawn upon your inward eye is : how to keep the fire within burning, how to keep the "SPARK" alive... Its by self-belief, belief in yourself. Belief that you have the power to transform today into a better tomorrow. Dream of that tomorrow and slowly your dreams will take the shape of reality.

I know it sounds difficult... However, only you can help sail the ship of your life through the rough storms of depression and despair. Be the navigator... "Rest if you must but dont you quit"

The power of self belief comes slowly but steadily by practice, by cultivating this as a habit.
Make positive affirmations for yourself and tell them aloud to yourself daily. Let it sink deep into the sub conscious mind. Slowly it will become a part of your character. Believe " You Can and then You Will".

I urge you to continue believing in yourself, dreaming of the most beautiful tomorrow and the universe will conspire to turn your into reality and believe me : best will come to you.

I came, I saw, I conquered...

I came, I saw , I conquered.. the words by which Julius Caesar succinctly described one of his victories.

I like these words since my early school days when I read about Caesar, in history. Any person may have positive and negative aspects, including Caesar, however, we must be like a sponge and learn and assimilate good and positive from our surrounding and the people and ignore the negatives.

These few words, have helped me learn... to create a path of success for any mission which I choose to undertake...

These few words may mean different things to different people. Conquer is mostly associated with victory @war, and some people may consider that these words depict pride and arrogance. It might seem to them to be words spoken by a monarch. People have various perceptions about things and other people. I respect that, however, here would like to present my version of this statement. The semantics which I attach to this statement.

I came, I saw, I conquered... To me this represents a long voyage of victory. We come to this world, completely innocent; we learn everything slowly and steadily. Have you watched a child growing? For them each day packages a new learning experience. How they learn to walk, taking small steps, falling multiple times before being able to stand up steadily on their feet. Slowly their senses develop, the sense of touch... Its a long, slow but steady process. I feel that exactly is the way we realize our passion, our drive. By being close to our self, we learn what makes us alive, what is the purpose we have on this planet. After this realization, there may be no rosy path to success and achievement in our chosen objective. We need to fall multiple times before we learn to walk, then climb and finally race.

" I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. " ---Edison

Each attempt which turns to fail, enables us to eliminates one possibility towards failure in our mission. It brings us a step closer to success.

This is the " I saw " part of the statement. One thing which really work here is, for whatever purpose you have chosen is: find people who have been successful in similar missions. Find a list of people whom you strongly admire and aspire to be like them. Read about them, find out their core beliefs, try modeling them as a part of you. Trying building those beliefs for yourself.

Then comes the time to take the plunge, infant we are ready to take the plunge. Success requires perspiration, there is no denying that. After all the effort, we must also make the right moves. Life is like a chessboard, we have faithful soldiers at our disposal, an army which is a combination of all strengths required to win; however, the right moves need to be made. Without making any move you cannot win. Ultimately, the reigns of your life is in your hand; come, fulfill your destiny.Make life the masterpiece it deserves to be.

This is the meaning which I attach to this statement. Would love to hear your thoughts/version, do share them.

A tour inside the production factory of our thoughts

Our mind is like a "production factory of thoughts" . It produces countless thoughts every nanosecond.... Even as I write this post numerous thoughts flash like lightning on the sky of my mind... So many thoughts, good and bad, positive and negative.

I recently read a book and really loved how this book explains the working of this production factory of thoughts - OUR MIND..

This particular production factory is under the charge of two foreman, let me introduce them...

Mr. TRIUMPH and Mr. DEFEAT.

Mr. TRIUMPH is in charge of manufacturing positive thoughts. He specializes in the production of reasons 'Why "YOU" Can!!! '

Mr. DEFEAT, on the other hand, produces negative thoughts.He specializes in the production of reasons 'Why "YOU" Can't!!! '

Both these foremen are very obedient and always ready to work. All you need to do is signal one of them and they just start working. If the signal is positive Mr. TRIUMPH comes forward and if the signal is negative Mr. DEFEAT comes into picture.

Just imagine, you wake up from bed and you say to yourself.."O its such a lousy day"... There comes your loyal Mr. DEFEAT and starts the manufacturing process. The Weather is horrible, I think I have a headache... So much to do at work/School.. I think I wont complete my task today.. And of course the day ends as a lousy one..

On the other hand, you wake up and say to yourself... " What a beautiful day" the manufacturing process starts immediately. For a nature loving person like me it is something like "Look at the chirping of the birds, the warm morning sun, the cool gentle breeze, so refreshing, the flowers dancing with the wind... having a rhythm of their own.. Like the beautiful rhythm of life..."
No doubt when you go to bed, you feel wonderful and alive and happy..Its really was a beautiful day..

This small example illustrates what we need to do. ALWAYS signal "Mr Triumph". Let me tell you another secret. Do you know, the foreman which works more becomes stronger and stronger. Am sure you don't want Mr. DEFEAT to grow stronger.. Do you?

Now we know what to do; let's decide.. " we will fire Mr. DEFEAT, give him no work at all" .

A day will come when Mr. TRIUMPH will be full fledged in-charge of this production factory... OUR MIND.
Eventually, all dreams will start coming true. The life that we have been dreaming about, will transform into reality. Let us change our thoughts to change our lives, into a better one.

“What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.”
--- BUDDHA

The power of now....

" Yesterday is history....
Tomorrow is a mystery....
But today is a gift, that's why it is called the "PRESENT"

I really loved this dialogue in the movie "Kung Fu Panda"...

It's so very true, what we have is today, now , the present... A Gift that each one of us possesses...

You know it makes me feel really powerful and so much in control of my life... I am the torchbearer and I am riding the chariot of my life... I can move it to any direction, I desire...

The philosophical facet of my character, makes a quick journey through my past and my experiences and sets before me examples which illustrates this fact. Isn't that what always happens. Whenever, you think of something, the little self within you goes on a quick journey of discovery through your past life and past experiences and retrieves all situations specific to your thought. This strengths your belief in that statement. This is how we start believing...
If we understand this science of believing, we can control our mind to belief in only those facts/statements/convictions which will act as catalyst in our growth and development and brush aside statements/convictions which we know will prove to be detrimental to our growth.
Ultimately, we have to grow... Growth is life... Change is life... We cannot choose to be stagnant and lifeless.

Anyways, coming back to the original point, there are several instances, which I can site in my life as well as others, based on my experiences, what I have seen around; many great decisions are in the flash of a second.. We are in it or out... And latter when we look back, we realize, that instant decision was so much beneficial for us.

Each moment is special, because each moment gives you the power and control to paint your life, to choose the colors, to choose the brushes, the strokes, the picture... everything....

I have always been a bit philosophical.. Since early childhood, I loved reading stories on determination, power, passion and dreams... How people fulfilled their purpose on this planet by following their dreams with passion and determination...
However, understanding the science and art behind their drive has been most interesting part of my voyage within myself.. As and when some truth dawns on my inward eye, I love sharing it out, with others, like me, who have a constant quest for knowledge of the human mind, the most fantastic machine that one can ever imagine... This is the purpose of my blog... I want to see the awakening, within the self.... within each one of us...

Each one of us is a toddler, we learn as we travel this journey of our lives...
Let's start living each moment, believing in the power of "NOW"....Taking each moment as a learning experience that awakens and enlightens us a little more than what we were.

The key to success : Success Mantras

A few days ago I had a remarkable experience, a memorable incident in my life, which I feel is worth sharing....

We all want to find that secret key to our success, a key which will open the gates to ever lasting joy, fame and victory... Is there really such a key to the casket of name and fame? Is there a genie which can help us realize all our dreams and manifest them into reality?

If you ask me that question, I will say : Yes there is; and believe me its very simple... it can be used by one and all, provided we understand the combination which will open the gates of glory for us, as each individual. Have you seen the modern days locks, which require a particular combination of numbers to be set before opening the box; the key to success is similar to this, each of us require one combination which suits only us, which enables us to unleash our passions, our talents.
So thats one thing you need to do : Find your Passion, Your purpose on this planet.

Now, about the remarkable experience in my life.... I had the golden opportunity to meet one of the greatest self made individuals... a remarkable entrepreneur... the CEO of one of the biggest company.

He shared his core beliefs which were the torchbearers in his path to success and achievement, and guess what they were so much similar to what we have been talking about in this blog.
Without wasting time, let me elaborate and share some of his core beliefs , which he shared with us.

1. Pursue your passion
Find our purpose and then live your purpose. Take time to discover your passion. Ask yourself : what is my purpose on this planet? What am I made for?
Find that answer... Let it slowly dawn, wait for the answer to be displayed someday magically on the canvas of your mind...

Once you have that answer, live that answer.

When " WORK " is your purpose, hard work is not an option, its a necessity.

Here, work is the nothing but your passion, what drives you, what awakens you...

2. Be ready to fail...

An age old saying says: Failures are the pillars of success.

It's very true.. A child learns to walk by falling and hurting himself or herself multiple times.. He keep trying until he succeeds, accepting the challenge to stand up on his/her feet. History bears witness to the pioneers, the great inventors and entrepreneurs, who have made their way inspite of all odds, drawing the inner strength from the power of their dreams and the fire of their passions... Dhirubhai Ambani, a magnificent business man who rose from one among the common man, to one of the richest man in the world. There are many such examples.. Choose one such man, model his beliefs in your life, maintaining your individuality as well... These beliefs ,my friend, is the combination that I have been talking about. The combination which will open the gates of success for you.

3. Be ready to be misunderstood...

There will be several situations in which people around you, including your loved ones may misunderstand you. They may consider you wrong. Acknowledge criticism only when you feel indeed there is the need of a change. Be like the sponge ( a sponge is an aquatic animal)... Treat life like a flowing water, a brook.. The water assimilates everything, good and bad... However, the sponge absorbs water and oxygen from the water... paying no attention to things which are unnecessary. There will be criticisms, speculations , predictions from all sides... Accept what you feel is needed for your good and constant improvement... Let the useless pass...

4. Think long term

The mantra to success is being fore sighted, focus on the long term goal, the small achievements are the building blocks to the ultimate objective... Don't rest until you reach the pinnacle. Keep the same enthusiasm, passion and tempo throughout. Be Powerful.. wondering how??? By feeling powerful.. Even if it seems to be cloudy, look with optimism to the horizon where a bright sunny day is on its way...

Dream as if you were to live forever, live as if you were to die today.

5. Focus on your customers

The key to any business undertaking, any work, any job on this planet.. is customer satisfaction. The end user should be satisfied with what you deliver. Belief in Win- Win situation. We all can win together. For you to win it's not necessary for me to lose. Deliver quality work.

Above all : Belief in your self, on the power of your dreams. Be confident that you will succeed.

This friend, is the mantra to success. The secret key to all your dreams and aspirations.
Choose the right beliefs, empowering beliefs which will help you sail to your destination. Its rightly said:

"YOU HOLD THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS!"

" What lies behind us and
what lies before us are
tiny matters compared
to what lies within us."
--------OliverWendellHomes

A heart stirring thought.... from an admirable person

Gone through your blog and your thoughts....

Have you ever seen the cactus flower. The flower has same qualities which others flowers have, beauty, softness, awesome color. However, nobody uses these flowers. They never think that how daring that plant is, which manages to grow in such an adverse situation; and inspite of the adversity.. it grows beautifully.

My bizarre thoughts say that maybe sometime all cactus plant would have bud flowers....
However, when the saw the adversity and fate (negligence) of other cactus plants of there family, they stopped budding flowers.

Again, a thought flashes on my mind... isn't this the case with my country, India... as well as the world....

There are many people who like to spread beauty, awareness, peace and sanguinity amongst the people around.However, seeing the fate of the people who think on similar lines, they take a step back.

However, there are some who still dare; inspite of all odds, inspite of the clouds of terrorism, unrest and treachery which have almost engulfed our atmosphere, they dare to change today for a better tomorrow. Thank God, such people still exist.

I too have thoughts like you. Just the difference is, you give them shape of blog and I try to kill those thoughts by my paintings and sketches.

The most special ingredient in the dish of your life is: "YOU"

Have you ever wondered - What is the most special ingredient in the dish of your life...? "YOU"

"YOU" are the secret to all your dreams, all what you have ever wanted or dreamt to achieve.

Let me clarify...

Friends, you know to achieve something great, the first you need to do is believe that you are special. You have been born on this planet to do something big, to make a difference. Yes, you are special. You have a purpose.

Believe you can do it and definitely you will.

Recently, I have been reading several books and also watched several movies and I really appreciate the fact that many of these means of mass awareness, are spreading around this message of the power of self belief.

I loved this movie "Kung Fu panda". It was a very enjoyable movie, but it did contain learning; a learning which if you understand and start applying, will be the key to all that you desire for.

It is the promise of something special that makes it special.

The story of "Kung Fu Panda" goes like..
the Valley of Peace is protected by the Furious Five, a quintet of warriors trained in kung fu by tortoise Master Oogway and his protégé, the red panda Master Shifu, and consisting of Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane.

One day, Master Oogway has a premonition that the snow leopard Tai Lung, Master Shifu's former student who gained a thirst for power and became evil, will escape from prison and attack the Valley. Oogway instructs Shifu and the others to hold a tournament in order for the next Dragon Warrior to be chosen in order to receive the power of the Dragon Scroll, a parchment said to give limitless power to whomever reads it, and defeat Tai Lung.
There is this overweight Panda Po, who accidentally happens to become the new Dragon Warrior of the Valley of Peace.

Unwilling to believe Po is destined to become the Dragon Warrior, Shifu attempts to conspire with the rest of the Furious Five to shun Po and make him leave the temple as soon as possible, but finds that Po, inspired by Oogway's confidence in him, is very determined to learn despite his size and clumsiness.

Without going into further details of the movie; let me put a question... Can you guess what the Dragon Scroll contained? Your wildest guess... - IT WAS AN EMPTY REFLECTIVE FOIL.
Then what was the secret? Was it all a joke?

No, the secret was “YOU ". The reflective foil shows your own reflection.
It’s your power of self belief which will help you sail through all odds and reach the pinnacle that you have always dreamt for yourself.

How this secret is revealed is quite an interesting part of the story, however, am sure you can watch the movie for yourself.

That’s the belief which I always talk about.

Let's cook and garnish the dish of our lives with this special ingredient: the belief that the outcome will be awesome.
Let's paint our lives with the colors we want, with the brushes of dreams and aspirations with the belief that our painting will be the most beautiful among all the paintings which our eyes have ever witnessed.

Let's be alive friends. Let's never stop dreaming and never stop believing that an angelic tomorrow awaits us. Let’s look to the horizon where a new day will begin.

The awakening

I cast a look around me; I feel overwhelmed with what I see...
The world has changed, really beyond imagination.

Some changes have affected us, the people, positively whereas some have proved to be disastrous...

The change which makes me wonder most is the change in our mindsets.Citing the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai which our country, India, had to combat; things are slowly getting back to normal.

However, what do we define as "NORMAL"?

When will there be a case when our nation will awaken and say "ENOUGH".
How long will we behave like dummies. Something happens, we call our loved ones, see they are fine, feel a bit emotional about the incident for a week or so and then get back to our daily lives.

When will we start feeling the pain of others, our fellow country men? When will we realize that tomorrow we can be one among the innocent people who lost their lives? When will be understand that we need to stand together and act, change our mindsets, awaken us and paint the picture of the world around us, in colors chosen by us, not by "THEM".

Its our country, our lives. We "ARE NOT" puppets in their hands. They can’t choose when we will die and how long we live. They can’t and won’t paint the lives of my country men in blood.

My nation, my India, my county... its mine.

Let's realize this. Let's stop being insensitive and indifferent. Let's not turn a blind eye to what is happening around us.

Some of you may be wondering: What can we do? Our leaders are corrupt. Our nation’s security system is at fault.

Friends, it’s very easy to point fingers. Aren’t we who have selected our leaders, isn’t someone amongst us, who is dishonest? If each one of us changes ourselves, our mindsets, awaken the giant within us and then influence people around us; a day will come, when our entire nation will be alive, not dead; when we can dream of a beautiful tomorrow full of peace and security and not of uncertainty. Where we can say once again: “I AM PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN”.

Friends, let’s start taking up our responsibilities seriously, let’s vote, select best leaders, who are motivated like us, who have big dreams like us, who have unlimited passion like us. Let’s together lead our country on the path of success and abundance.

Let’s begin our journey with Tagore’s below prayer in our minds:

Where the mind is without fear and the head held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action;
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
-- Rabindranath Tagore

Nostalgic School Memories

Bloom, bloom, bloom where you're planted...

You will find your way....

Bloom, bloom, bloom where you're planted...

You will have your day....

As I cast an eye down the memory lane...looking back on whatever life has enfolded before me till date, I am full of a mixture of feelings. Feelings of joy, amusement, a little dash of sorrow, some regrets, but tons of happiness, love and laughter to carry forward in life.

School days are the most memorable part of one's life. Those days of innocence, freedom from the chains of worries and tension, a golden period full of liveliness and vivacity.

At school, I was a quiet and introvert child. However, deep within my self, I had always been a deep thinker. I now wonder how bizarre some of my thoughts had been. They had a spiritual and philosophical bend even at that tender age. I always loved reading motivational poems and songs, motivating my friends to do something innovative and new. Now I understand, I basically loved motivating people, which now has become so much a part of my self.

I remember the few lines from a song we used to sing at my school, Carmel Convent, Durgapur.

Bloom, bloom, bloom where you're planted...
You will find your way....

Bloom, bloom, bloom where you're planted...
You will have your day....

This chorus has and will remain engraved in my mind forever. Just try to take a deeper look into the meaning of these few lines.

Like a flower/shrub/tree blooms, wherever it’s planted… A fertile soil or a barren desert, the peak of snow capped mountain or lush green plains. It never complains, so should we learn to bloom wherever we are… under whatever circumstances and with whatever limitations. We should make the best utilization of our limited resources to carve our way through all twists and turns of life and reach the pinnacle: the zenith which we have identified for us.

This does not mean that we should live content with small means, never dream big, and be happy with whatever little we have; never ever think of venturing outside our boundaries… NO, I don’t mean this.

This to me is equivalent to death. I want to be alive, vivacious and lively… with the sparkle of big dreams in my eyes, with the hope of the most beautiful tomorrow that my mind can picture. This is my symphony of life….However, for the attainment and fulfillment of these most cherished dreams, let me awaken within me the infinite power and belief which will help me sail through all the ups and downs… all my limitations… which, I wont put it as a limitation now…My surroundings is the garden in which I have been planted. A beautiful, fragrant flower can grow anywhere… as I said, in lush green plains as well as desert, on a snow capped mountain as well as on the sea shore.

Let me put my heart and soul in making myself that sweet fragrant flower, which will always bloom where it’s been planted…as long as it is there on this planet, spreading its beauty and fragrance in the atmosphere, making the world around a more beautiful and serene place for others as well as myself.

Let’s bloom where we are planted, we will find our way….

A ship in harbor is safe... but is that what ships are for?

Are ships built to be in harbor forever?

In order to be safe and protected should we always remain within our secure zone... and never venture out???

Life is full of twists and turns, ups and downs, roses and thorns, success and failures. However, only for the fear of failing, we dont even give tough things a try.

For the fear that our dreams will get shattered, friends, do we stop dreaming.

Life is an adventure, dare it!!!

Let your dreams go wild, dream what makes you come alive. Find out that thing, that is your purpose, then go and do that. The world needs people who are "ALIVE".

Here is a test to find out whether your mission in life is complete.
If you're alive, it isn't.
---Richard Bach

Friends, find your mission and live your mission. Don’t compromise.... You are on this planet for particular purpose... find that purpose.

I often wonder all of us generally, and especially nature lovers like me; wonder at the beauty of nature. The beautiful, snow capped mountains, the sparkling brook, the lush greenery around, the plains, the azure sky, the beauty of the sunset, the red streaks in the blue sky, the flying birds, the colors of the rainbow, the morning dew on the roses... its all awesome. The beauty which leaves you spell bound. However, have you ever taken a chance to see, discover and wonder at the beauty within you? The beauty of our soul. We seem to pass by ourselves without wondering.... never realizing the beauty within us... beauty of our dreams... dreams which I repeat, have been the silent guides to what life has enfolded before us till now... and will enfold in future.

Let’s explore ourselves, our dreams and passions, let’s find our purpose... and like the ship set out on a journey to live that dream.

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
----Mother Teresa

Story Time : The touchstone

The Touchstone story

The story goes to the time when the great library of Alexandria burned. One of the books which was saved, was not a very valuable one. So a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers.

The book wasn't very interesting. However, between its pages was a secret : The secret of the touchstone !

The touchstone was a small pebble which when brought in contact with any metal, would turn the metal to GOLD.

The secret said that the touchstone was lying under thousands and thousands of pebbles, that looked exactly like it, near the shore of the Mediterranean. The secret to recognize the touchstone was : the real stone would feel warm, while the other ordinary pebbles were cold.

So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles.

He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold - throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.

The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about mid afternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away.

So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it's easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it's just as easy to throw it away.

We must learn to be open and alert. When an opportunity knocks at our door, we must grab it and make the full use of it. We must also try to create our own opportunities. Its possible. With the realization of your purpose, faith and confidence in your dreams, you can create opportunities for yourself. Believe me, then there will be no looking back...

Wherever we are, in whatever profession, lets realize our dreams, lets give it our best, the ultimate, the utmost passion, perseverance and determination.... remember

"When work is your purpose, hard work is not an option, its a necessity."