but one which needs to be done every day, is to take in life's little pains and joys. We have so many instances of these every day. But, we tend to balk at both the pains and the joys - pains because it's awful to feel and deal with any kind of pain, especially when that evil little voice pops up to tell us this is all there is to life, and joys because that evil little voice tells us to beware of joy. I've battled with both these for many, many years. I'm still not too brave about pain but I've seen that when I just accept the pain as is without dwelling on past pains or future ones, I can handle it better and when it finally leaves me, it does so without leaving any residue behind. Joy, too....I've been so skeptical, have done things like tell myself joys are not for me, this joy is going to extract its price and so on till the joy just faded away leaving an aching blank. Now, when I accept joy just as is, without connecting and relating it to anything past or future, even the teeniest bit of joy fills my heart with a peaceful, happy glow.
Try it......accept the pain and joy without analysis....just accept. This will clear the mind to deal with and bear the pain and savor the joy.
12 October 2015
02 October 2015
What my tree taught me...
I call it my tree because I can see it from my balcony. I love trees, but living in a city, these are rare, so I cherish this one. I can spend hours just looking at it and drawing its energies into me. I have seen how my tree changes itself in all the seasons, and love it equally in all its avatars.
This morning, while spending time with my tree, I thought these thoughts...
My tree breathes in all the toxic fumes generated all around it, but it gives out only life-giving and life-sustaining oxygen. Lesson to be learnt here - no matter what is dealt to us, no matter how toxic, heart-rending or gut-wrenching, we should send out and share only good thoughts, good vibes and uplifting words with those around us.
My tree never rushes. Each of its thousands of leaves takes its own time to grow and become mature. Its flowers are in no hurry either. Each flower waits patiently till Nature creates her distinctive shape and features and when she is ready, she blooms spreading her color and beauty to everyone, without exception. Lesson - there is no need to 'rush about and worry so'. Leave ourselves to Nature till she carves and creates us in our own unique shape. Then, we need to share ourselves in the beauty Nature has created, with those around us.
My tree is not scared of the winter. Though she looks glorious when she is in full bloom with an abundance of dark green leaves and beautiful red flowers, come winter she has to shed all of her glory. Every single leaf and flower is gone and my tree stands in its nakedness against the harsh winds, the hot sun, the swirling dust and terrible dryness. No birds chatter on the tree. My tree weathers it all patiently and bravely, becoming stronger in her solitude. The twigs and branches that cannot withstand these vagaries of the season are shed. Everything that distracts my tree from its standing straight and tall are cast off. And then, when all the conditions of Nature have been fulfilled, the first tiny little pale green leaves make their debut. Soon, the tree looks fresh and new and pale green. The leaves glisten in the early morning. And then, gradually, gradually, very gradually they mature and the tree stands tall and full. Lesson - we too need winter in our lives so that we can remove all that is bringing us down. We need the quietness of solitude to sift and sort our insides and clean ourselves up so that when the first winds of spring blow, we'll be new persons...
This morning, while spending time with my tree, I thought these thoughts...
My tree breathes in all the toxic fumes generated all around it, but it gives out only life-giving and life-sustaining oxygen. Lesson to be learnt here - no matter what is dealt to us, no matter how toxic, heart-rending or gut-wrenching, we should send out and share only good thoughts, good vibes and uplifting words with those around us.
My tree never rushes. Each of its thousands of leaves takes its own time to grow and become mature. Its flowers are in no hurry either. Each flower waits patiently till Nature creates her distinctive shape and features and when she is ready, she blooms spreading her color and beauty to everyone, without exception. Lesson - there is no need to 'rush about and worry so'. Leave ourselves to Nature till she carves and creates us in our own unique shape. Then, we need to share ourselves in the beauty Nature has created, with those around us.
My tree is not scared of the winter. Though she looks glorious when she is in full bloom with an abundance of dark green leaves and beautiful red flowers, come winter she has to shed all of her glory. Every single leaf and flower is gone and my tree stands in its nakedness against the harsh winds, the hot sun, the swirling dust and terrible dryness. No birds chatter on the tree. My tree weathers it all patiently and bravely, becoming stronger in her solitude. The twigs and branches that cannot withstand these vagaries of the season are shed. Everything that distracts my tree from its standing straight and tall are cast off. And then, when all the conditions of Nature have been fulfilled, the first tiny little pale green leaves make their debut. Soon, the tree looks fresh and new and pale green. The leaves glisten in the early morning. And then, gradually, gradually, very gradually they mature and the tree stands tall and full. Lesson - we too need winter in our lives so that we can remove all that is bringing us down. We need the quietness of solitude to sift and sort our insides and clean ourselves up so that when the first winds of spring blow, we'll be new persons...
01 October 2015
Many of us...
search diligently for perfection. Wise people have said that this is only an illusion; that in the striving for perfection, we often lose sight of what really matters to us....and so on. In other words, while striving for perfection, we have to keep in mind that we may be driving ourselves to beyond our limitations; that we are opening up ourselves to hurt; that we are in danger or trashing ourselves because we cannot attain that pinnacle on which we have set our sights.
Here is something to make us pause, since we often think...no, believe...that it is only if we are perfect that we are whole. There is no room for broken dreams, broken hopes, broken lives...
But...
Wholeness does not mean perfection, it means embracing brokenness as an integral part of your life. The broken bits are where the Light comes in from. Putting broken bits together shows us what we can do without and what we can shift around. Fixing broken pieces creates new patterns and designs.
Here is something to make us pause, since we often think...no, believe...that it is only if we are perfect that we are whole. There is no room for broken dreams, broken hopes, broken lives...
But...
Wholeness does not mean perfection, it means embracing brokenness as an integral part of your life. The broken bits are where the Light comes in from. Putting broken bits together shows us what we can do without and what we can shift around. Fixing broken pieces creates new patterns and designs.
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