The beauty of the trail …

 

Lots of sunshine,

 And some rain.

Lots of joy,

And some pain.

 Lots of gain,

And some that went in vain.

 Lots of bonds,

 And some who were gone.

 Yet when it’s time to look back

All I can see is the beauty of trail, no matter how far, no matter how frail!

 All I see is the beauty of trail …

Advaita 2009

Advaita means non-duality, oneness, harmony. I can’t imagine a better platform from the universe for my debut photography show. Yes it’s finally happening today. An intention that I put across to the universe in 2007 inspired by my dear friends Atul and Sushma Sabnis’s show at Nehru Center at Sushma’s show. That was the time when nobody knew what was enstore for me ,not even in the coming days leave alone the future. However the universe surely had a plan (I strongly believe so) and that’s when participating in Sushma’s Advaita 2009 germinated as an intention in my heart and over two years gave me a purpose to make it happen for me. Not only was there the will and patience to make it happen from my end, but also there has been amazing support, contributions, guidance consciously and subconsciously from the universe in unimaginable forms.
Today is the 1st Beautiful day of my new journey mapped out by the universe for me. I am very thrilled, excited to discover where it is going to take me. This show case of mine “ Growth” series is a dedication to my dearest Papa &Mummy,my darling sister Sonal,my God mother Yashi aunty, my Master Magician Prasad( my teacher), the Transformation process, my Reiki Family, Dr. Bhansali & Dr. Nozer( all my doctors and nurses),my amazing friends Niki, Meena, Reshma,Sushma, Rayo, Siraj (can’t mention all of them as the list is unending, however surely pray for each one of them from the bottom of my heart and know they know it too) , the innumerable contributors who came into my life in various forms and to myself for bringing about this magic for me.

Cheers to my New Beginning !
Do Visit,
Advaita 2009
Venue : Kohinoor Continental Hotel ( Art Gallery)
Dates : 16th to 31st Dec 2009
Time : 11am to 7pm

The Moment !

At times, I wish endlessly for the moment to come …
At times, I wish the moment may never cease …
At times, I wish I could live the moment whenever…
At times, I wish I could create that magic forever …
Living each moment to it’s fullest makes it worth cherishing …
Cherishing each moment truly makes life worth living …
So why not just enjoy the moment!

They say …

They say I live in an illusionary world.
…when I know the true world is what I found within!

They say I have no grip on life’s realities.
…when I know that struggling to get a grip is what never let me flow!

They say they feel disconnected with me.
…when I know I have begun to experience true meaning of connections!

They say I am slipping away.
…when I know the free fall is the only way!

They say I am lost.
…when I know this time for sure that I have finally found myself!

Lessons from Nature – Purpose

I spent the weekend in mother nature’s lap …and as I cuddled in silence there were a lot of stories she began to unfurl to me. It was a magical experience and very powerful. It has surely penetrated to the depth of my core .Here’s a lesson amongst many that I received from mother nature.

What is my purpose ?

 I often keep asking and seeking answers to this question. I know many of us do …So what is truly my purpose of this life? Do I have a long life or short? Will I do something meaningful before I go? What is that? How will I know about it ? are some of the questions that I have been asking last couple of years.

A wise one  ( my angel as I lovingly call him) told be a few months back …don’t look for big things to do to fulfill ur purpose .It could be just small little things that could make a difference and touch someone’s life and that would be ur purpose for that moment. I thought it was an interesting view point but don’t think was completely convinced on the same until last Saturday morning.

I was at my Silient retreat and it was our 3rd day there. As I walked to my seminar hall that morning I chanced up the most beautiful and unique flower I have ever noticed. It was white and lavender and trust me beyond that I have absolutely no worlds to describe it’s beauty. What was amazing that it had blossomed that very day coz I had seen that plant before. It just was stunning and very very unique. Have never seen anything like that before. I went for the seminar and waited for the break to come back to admire the beauty. I was mesmerized by it, if I may say so. I stood there for long just admiring and capturing it in my heart( was so itching to get my hands on the camera then) as I left I promised my self next day being the last day I wld surely come back and capture the beauty in my camera too. Next morning as I approached the plant …

I was shocked. The flower had wilted. I cldnt stand there at the point but was in deep sorrow for the next few moments. That’s  when I questioned myself… It was such a beauty that gave so much joy to my heart why then did it have to wilt so soon… why did it have such a short life?

That’s when it struck me that may be the flower had actually fulfilled it’s purpose for this  lifetime. May be it’s purpose was to outshine itself and spread it’s beauty in my heart, give me joy that I shall retain in my life time and touch my life. May be it’s life and so it’s purpose was momentary yet had left a lasting impression on my heart forever. It made me realize what my angel  actually meant.

Thus what I learnt was …The purpose of life could be as small as giving momentary joy to some one’s life or as big as leaving a lasting impression. Life for that matter need not be measured by the number of years it would last however how it could be lived in it’s fullest glory and how many lives it could touch in it’s life time .

 As a tribute to that beautiful flower I surely am going to live each moment of my life (no matter how long or short it may be) to the fullest and spread my happiness that I gather in the journey to as many hearts I can. And that would be my purpose …

Contributions !

Recently on my trip to Thailand I spent a day in and around the ocean and was admiring god’s unique creation . The ocean never fails to fascinate me and each time I spend time by it’s side it has always given much more than I could ever ask for. This time too from the shore I began to admire it’s vastness, as I ventured into the same I was in awe of it’s depth, it’s colours and shades fascinated me, it was a miracle to see how it’s depth, force and very nature of water could destroy life and the very same miracle nurtured and housed all sorts of creations within it’s self with ease. The ocean to me demonstrated it’s might, ego and humility at the same go. It taught me lessons of life yet again …
I wondered how the ocean has been gifted with so many diversities. As

I admired and pondered further I realized that the ocean’s beauty in totally, that I admired was actually a gift of various contributions it had received in it’s journey to become what I admired it as today …yes the ocean wouldn’t have been so vast had it not been for the contributions from various rivers and streams that gave themselves selflessly to the ocean. The clouds, the rain, the sun too unconditionally contributed to it’s beauty. The mother earth in all it’s humility gathered and held together the ocean in it’s arms nurturing it and teaching it lessons of humbleness inspite of it’s might, to keep itself confined to it’s own boundaries. . . It’s depth, humility, force, lessons were not it’s own but blessings from all it’s contributors. It is these contributions that had made the ocean a miracle of the universe.

Similarly off late I was admiring my own miraculous life and what I had become today . Which as you would realize is something I am very very happy and humbled about. What I see of my self today was not something I ever anticipated in my childhood or for that matter in my growing up years too. For that matter I didn’t even realized what each situation or person that I liked or disliked did to me untill very recently.

In my unawareness I never realized how each incident and person kept making their selfless contribution to my existence that I experience today. The contributions have gifted me my will power, my never say die attitude, experiences of grace & unconditional love, made me believe in miracles, showed me how there is light after every dark tunnel, made me realize how every trying situation only polished my strengths and brought forth my true inner beauty, they taught me lessons of humbleness, true love, divine surrender, soul connections, compassion and truly what relationships and family mean.Each contribution enriched me as an individual and still continues to do so. I am what I am thanks to all wonderful contributions I have been blessed with.

While it may be difficult to reach out to each contributor to acknowledge and thank them from the depth of my heart. This post of mine today is a dedication and a big thank you to each and every contributor to my life. Just as the ocean, it is these blessings contributed towards my life that make it yet another miracle of the universe !

Life – The Optical Illusion ?

This subject has been brewing in my head sincle last few weeks. I began when i head Yashi aunty say how everything in our life was an optical illusion …people we see in front of us and claim to be able to touch, feel and experience is actually just a form of energy, the sunrises and sunsets that we enjoy so much are actual an illusion. The sun doesn‘t  really rise or set, it just is …it’s the earth that revolves around it. The ‘horizon’ that we admire and are in awe of when we stand the ocean shore doesn‘t actually exist either. It‘s not that i havent heard this before yet this time it made me ponder !

The Illusions of life have become so real to us that we are so attached to them,we live them each moment, we love them , we hate them, we get restless about them, we are possesive of them, we constantly try to undertand and decode their truth, we even struggle to own them.

Very few enlighten souls are actually able to look beyond this illusion.Most of us just spend our entire life stuggling with the illusion. Not that i have been able to look beyond the illusion myself yet. Makes me realize how fruitless the stuggle of owning and living in it is. Yet don’t seem to find a way out or rather wonder if it‘s the fear of having to face the reality that i fear…Atleast the 1st step is that I am concious of it’s existence, further I am sure my destiny shall reveal a way ahead …Till such time I live in amazement of  the creator and his thoughts – the one who created Life – the Optical Illusion !

 

Zindagi ke panne

Aaj palat rahi thi zindagi ke kuch panne

Har panna jaise apni hi dastaan sunane laga

Kahin pe tha pyaar beshumar

Kahin thi gamon ki bauchaar

Kahi pe naazar aayi thodi si ruswai

Kahi laga, hui bhi thi thodi si jag hasaai

 

Kuch panne choot gaye they adhoore

Kuch ho kar bhi adhoore, lag rahe they poore

Kuch panno se jhalak rahi thi masoom si hansi

Kahin naazar aayi apne aap se bhi berukhi

Kahin thi arzooein dabi dabi si

Kahin khul ke jee li thi har khushi

 

Kahin they ankahe izhaar

Aur kabhi naazar ayi pyaar bhari takraar

Kahin mila nok-jhok, hansi-mazak ka khazana

Aur kahin tha dard ka apna afsana

 

In panno ki dastano ne ehsaas yeh dilaya

Rangeen hai yeh zindagai, har lamhe ka mazaa uthaya  

Is haseen ehsaas se aaj phir naye panno ki kar rahi hun shuruwat

Hai yakeen ki phir se hogi ek nayi takdeer se mulakat!

 

I have begun to experience and understand what completions mean. I guess I am. Though there is sadness in letting go and closing chapters of life. However it truly is a liberating experience. What inspired me to write this poem was the realization as some chapters of my life are reaching completions there are many new chapters that are beginning to reveal themselves to me. It’s amazing this miracle called life and it’s magical healing ways! Cheers to the universe …Cheers to LIFE!

Also would like to make a special mention of my colleague and a new friend Rahul who is a copywriter and theatre actor in Delhi. He encouraged me to make an attempt to re connect with a language which I feel (I am ashamed to say) am not comfortable with anymore … Yes Hindi …sadly true but thanx to Rahul I have made my 1st attempt and happy to reconnect with my core yet again!

Flight of Fancy !

It’s fun to fancy where the flight of fancy can take me …
Fancy resting on a soft cloudy hammock –that too on a beautiful sunny Monday morning…
Fancy sipping away strawberry milkshake from a free flowing ocean – that too guilt free!
Fancy hopping around in your dream land in a Kangaroo’s pocket – totally pollution free !
Fancy waking up amongst petals of a beautiful sunflower to the early morning rays of the sun
Fancy flying way in the beautiful blue vast skies chirping like a beautiful little bird
Fancy walking at a beach with white soft sands, crystal blue waters and pink dolphins playing away with mystical divine angels
My fancy to fancy the flight of fancy seem to make want to fancy all along …

I think, I am going to now take off on my new found flight of fancy
And explore a whole new world of fun, a world quite unknown, a world I can call my own !

Luck By Chance !

Yes yet again my post is inspired by a film and why not ? Whoever said only films are suppose to be inspired by life’s happening. I totally loved the film and performances and surely think Farhan Akthar is too cute, hot and very talented. However what this post is about is the concept ‘Luck by chance’ a carelessly used term and the brilliant irony expressed by the writer on what truly defines ‘Luck’ and the role it plays in each ones life.I loved the protagonist expression about how ‘we chose our successes and failures’ and ‘how one has to work towards one’s goals walking with faith on the path choosen and how faith makes the chosen path the right one.’
This is a subject specially close to my heart and something that I truly have experienced in my life and understood it better with each passing experience. I had always heard the cliché “ Success is 70% hard work and 30% luck” however over the years I have begun to understand its true underline meaning …surely Hard work is the key yet according to my understanding luck is a factor of an undeterred intent and choices that one makes.
Everyone is born lucky yet only a few make it big in life. It’s never about luck or being at the right place at the right time however it is making the best of every moment and trusting that everything is happening for a big reason which eventually leads one to the right place at the right time.
I remember few years back when I got a job at Lintas without being a post graduate I heard people tell me “ You got lucky, I see !”. I didn’t like the sound of it. It made me feel undeserving in their eyes. I knew I was hard working and may be that had paid. That’s when my dear friend Mayank had told me “ Tell them, It’s not luck but I am fortunate !”. At that point I liked the tone of it . Thought it was an assertive way of putting things across however today I realize it meant much more …now the saying ‘Fortune favours the brave’ makes more sense to me and understand it’s connect. Yes one has to be brave and keep on moving on the path chosen and believe that one day he would be lead to his destiny.
Hence everyone is lucky yet only a few are fortunate …I guess that’s coz they choose their luck by their choices and not by chance !