Continuing my musing on contentment...

I came across these rather powerful thoughts:

If you find yourself stuck in traffic. Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work, think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you grieve the passing of another week-end, think of the woman in dire straits, who works 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to feed her children.

Should your car break down and you have to walk to find assistance, think of the physically challenged person who would love to take that walk.


And last of all: I cried because I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet.

'milling ramblings...

Life does not give us what we want...

                                           but what we need...

                                                               and Life equips us for this, if we but stop our ravings and rantings and look inside and around us...

This is reason enough for us to go along with life...

Never judge life by the happiness quotient, for happiness is fleeting. Judge by the deep feeling of peacefulness, serenity and tranquilitythat stays on after the breeze/zephyrs/strong winds/tempests/hurricanes have passed over...

(Tread)milling ramblings...

Remember to consciously release all the toxins in the body - physical, mental, emotional, psychological - when you 'mill.

Randomly thinking...

Among all the states of mind that a person can have, to be content seems to be the hardest state to be in. Truly. Take anything: the weather - it's too hot, too cold, too dusty, too windy, too rainy... , food - too hot, too cold, underdone, overdone, too much, too little, too spicy, too bland... , work/work environment - too much, too difficult, too confusing, too stressful, not challenging enough, not exciting... , people we meet - too chaalu, too foolish, not bright, too devious, not the thinking kind, not savvy, don't know anything, selfish... , ourselves - what a place we live in, not rich enough, too poor, want this, need that, too fat, too thin, want to look young, want to look older, want to eat, can't eat, want to travel, can't do all the things i want to do... , the city we live in - dirty, difficult to move about in, crazy traffic, no sidewalks... , tv programs - the same old thing, bitter politics, foolish governments, corrupt politicians, self-seeking people... , and on and on and on...just not happy with anything...

Think about it - when was the last time we were just peaceful about where we were and what we had? when last were we just plain-old-just-us, doing the things that came our way, happily and cheerfully?

Words...

Today is Good Friday, and a person who called to talk to me about something wished me a 'Happy Good Friday' and hoped I would celebrate and have a wonderful day. Good Friday is a day of mourning - an awful day when even the thought of the crucifixion of Christ is painful...

Observe would have been a better word, because Good Friday is a day that is observed by all believers...one thinks about the crucified Christ and all that it means.

The day that is celebrated is Easter...the day of re-birth...of spring and new beginnings...

Just a small word - what a difference in the meaning it conveys...

Increasingly I'm believing in: Speak gently...you may be treading on someone's heart/mind/sensibilities...

Randomly thinking...

To some, a treadmill means - running/walking without getting anywhere...

Is that really true?

I believe the reason why one is on the treadmill is to get to a physical state that is fit, and a mental state that is strong...

Randomly rambling...

When perforce, a mother has to be left in the hands of a care-giver, how to describe the myriad feelings that tumble around in the heart...for the unseen umbilical cord that binds the daughter to the mother continues to tug tenaciously at the heart-strings...

Taught anew...

The old man who ever so regularly and caringly brings me my lunch reminded me afresh about mindfulness.

My neighbor, who had asked me about my lunch arrangements, had expressed a wish to avail of the same service. I had told him that I would introduce him to Kaku, as he is known by all whom he serves. However, by the time I got to my door on Kaku's ringing the bell, I found that my neighbor had started talking to Kaku. I also saw that Kaku was not too keen on talking to him just then. Anyway, I made the introduction, and Kaku said he would talk to him later. I took my tiffin carrier in. When I came out to pay Kaku, we, as usual, discussed tomorrow's lunch. After our customary unhurried conversation, when he had finished talking to me, he went to the neighbor's house, took off his sandals, and went in. It was only then that he started talking. His first question was: 'Yes, so what did you want?' I came away inside.

Lessons:
Finish one task before starting off on another one. 
Give the task in hand your full attention.
Do not hurry over the task you are engaged in even though, or just because, there is another one, as important, or even more important, waiting to be done.
While you are in one interaction, give that your full attention: listen-talk-communicate fully, with both eyes on the person in front of you and both ears engaged, and not with one eye and one ear on the next interaction, or on someone standing nearby, or on something happening in the vicinity.

Try this with everyone - EVERYONE is worthy of your full, undivided attention, during the time you are engaged with them, no matter they are small children, grown-ups, close friends, acquaintances, strangers, elderly, infirm, different...

Wisdom...

Never criticize,

Never interfere,  and

Never offer advice...

Let people do whatever they want to do. If your help is required, only then help,

If your advice is sought, only then give it,

But don't hold anyone to it...
 
and at all times, hold your peace...

Randomly rambling...

When we look at people in other professions (this includes sport), and see the way they think and behave, and take decisions, we feel we have the moral right to judge them based on what we would have done, or how we would have thought, or what decisions we would have taken.  And that is so wrong...because how in the world do we know what the demands of their professions are? their compulsions? their feelings about the situation they are confronted with? their position in their organization/society/family? We cannot know how their actions/decisions are perceived in the context of their country? their expectations vis-a-vis the society they live in, and their perceptions of the expectations their society has of them?

Basic respect is the only answer...

Must reads...

'Child of Tibet' ---- Soname Yangchen
'Sweet Mandarin' ----- Helen Tse

Women's situations and women's feelings that a woman can instantly vibe with. Reading about Soname and Helen and their families confirmed so many of my feelings, thoughts and beliefs. As with Maya Angelou, I felt the instant connect...

One belief Soname and Helen shared and which makes the greatest possible sense is their belief in karma - at no time---NO TIME---did they ever rail against their fate of grinding poverty, having to do the most back-breaking work, the long grueling hours, or the way they were cheated or treated. Never ever did they ask the question, 'why me?' Nor did they question the kind of work they had to do, whether it was cleaning the public toilets, or washing and scrubbing the house from top to bottom every single day...or cooking, or whatever...BUT, best of all, they believed in themselves and their ability to rise above their condition, and the impossible situation life had put them in. They did not question the harshness of the life they found themselves in - EVER - it was just something that happened to them, something that was meant to be for them, and they had to do something about it. They believed they had it in them to do something about it. They believed that this is not what they were born for, and knew that only hard work would take them out of where they were. To that end they were totally, and completely unafraid of working their hands raw.

They believed that while they were in the situation they were in because of some past karma, if they worked cheerfully and well, they would be creating good karma for the future. So, they never thought negative thoughts either, because that would create the karma for the future as well - only good thoughts, cheerful acceptance of what life handed them, and hard work were the mantras.

While I've read about karma and know it makes a lot of sense, and in fact, have on more than one occasion seen 'cause and effect' happening in my life, (seen it enough to believe in it), reading how Soname and Helen (and the other women in her family) actually lived it has really struck home.

Randomly rambling...

There are reams and reams of paper, and masses of digitized material on growing old...especially for women. I will confess to reading whatever I can lay my hands or eyes on about this phenomenon of growing old, how to age gracefully, and how to enjoy the twilight years.

But, a tiny thought kept nagging me: why women? was it harder for women to get older? why were most of the reassurances for women? And, then yesterday I read this wonderful thing - 'As women, we often try to do everything. For some, it's wrapped up in self-esteem. For some, it's a matter of being put in control or in charge. Some believe that the more we do, the worthier we are of love and respect'. The thoughts flew: It's true! Right from an early age we are used to giving and giving and giving. We take on the responsibilities of our brothers both older and younger, as well as our younger sisters. Often, when we see our mother struggling, we put our shoulder, tender as it may be, to the family wheel; a situation which then carries on through life. As adults, the same thing continues. At work, we tend to fill in for others, or help out after office hours, and at home, we find that we are the hub around which the family revolves. But age comes creeping on and it is when we have to start relinquishing many of the things we did, purely because the body just cannot go on, that the insecurities come creeping in. Sacrificing for the family comes naturally, but giving up and letting go for ourselves seems so hard to do...our sense self-esteem and self-worth take a beating. The question, we miserably and foolishly ask ourselves is, 'Are we being put out to pasture (as it were)?'

We do not see that we are merely stepping into another phase and we can continue to cultivate our minds. There is no age limit to that!! In fact, we are in a position to enrich the lives of the younger ones, provided we don't believe we have all the answers (that is so off-putting!). We, somehow, fail to see that this is the time when we can speak our mind and get away with it; wear red; cuddle and spoil the babies; lie down and read whenever we want to; have that extra cup of coffee; doze off when watching tv or listening to the drawing room conversation; and maybe for the first time in our lives, without compunction, we can - JUST BE -

And so, no matter we are struggling with our greying hair and sagging bodies, we need to vow to banish all self-negating thoughts, and step out in style...the best is yet to be...clearly...

Conquerors we...of the world!

For one night, every man, woman and child in India, and everyone with even one drop of Indian blood overseas had stars in their eyes, and ruled the world...


The sorrow-pain in Sangakkara's eyes, and the happiness-relief in Dhoni's eyes, to me, expressed the heavy personal toll each paid to uphold the aspirations of the people's of two countries...All of us, Lankans and Indians had attached our personal stars to the tails of these two Comet-Superheroes...