It was a lazy Saturday evening with friends and some freshly brewed coffee. It was after a long time that all of us decided to do nothing and to just catch up on life. As the evening progressed and our conversations moved from the regular humour and banter to sharing dreams and ambitions I realized how the quest to rise and rise fast is the only thing on the minds of the youth today.
I will admit that I am a part of this clan. Our need to accomplish and accomplish at a younger age is taking over a lot of 'me' time or 'family' time. As we discussed our goals and lives 5 years down the line, there were comments like "boss jaldi paisa kamana hai, par kaise?"(I want to make some quick money but how?) "I don't mind doing anything dude but its gotta be quick". Our parents had the time we don't ya, where's the time? Our parents went for their first foreign holiday at 50; we want to do it at 20 and our kids at 2. That's the pace and we all need to keep up.
As the discussion moved on we came to discussing babies and how it’s so expensive to raise them and so time consuming and restricting to careers, personal accomplishment, relationships, travel that it’s best to restrict it to one. My mind drifted away to the conversation I had a few weeks ago with my mom and remembered her words, “you’ll think so much about yourselves vs. us who thought about our kids all the time.” She is often amazed at how every activity in our lives is so planned and calculated including having kids. She often tells me “don’t think so much, har baccha ya insaan apna naseeb leke aata hai.”(Each child/person will come with his fate, so don’t think so much). Sub consciously I thought my god it would be such a riot if my mom was part of this discussion.
We then moved onto social skills and how it’s so important to network to climb that ladder fast. All the boys defended themselves saying that's why they keep doing their boys night out. (We believe them). I agree that today your social skills and ability to network that can get you going and going great places. The result is obviously evident with the amount of time we spend on these social networking sites.
It was almost dawn as we discussed our lives, we all agreed with some and disagreed with some. I listened to all my friends intently, soul searching and trying to identify traits that drive all of us today keeping us so young and restless
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Thursday, November 5, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Other Side
This one is for all those who think that the grass may be greener on the other side, who want to know what could be in store for them.
Yes its difficult to take decisions sometimes, actually at most times and especially the ones that are not warranted by most of your loved ones. We often get caught up between doing what's essential from a practical point of view and what you always wanted to do.
A close friend of mine decided to quit her well paying job in an MNC company to set up her own house and wait until she found her calling. Most friends did not agree with her decision as they could not do it and wondered why would someone want to leave her job in these recessionary times. Today with just one month through her sabbatical she has discovered so many facets about herself that were unknown to her. She took classes at the Culinary Institute of America, went exercising everyday, took dance classes, spent time with her siblings and is sure that the entrepreneur in her is ready to take on the world.
Another friend of mine who just moved home after marriage to another country wrote this great article for the Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125480175834966795.html which again reaffirms my faith that any decision in life is not worth regretting.
More often than not we weigh our decisions with the impact it will have on the lives of those we love, but be selfish sometimes. The other side could be good for the both of you. Don't fear failure because you were at least courageous enough to try. There are so many people who at 60 realise that this is not what they ever wanted to do.
Answer your calling, take the decision that is only yours, don't seek affirmation always. Leave that cushiony job that does not excite you every minute of every day. Even if your calling is to do nothing but be the best homemaker or the best mother to your child, go ahead and do it. Your loved ones will be happy only if you are happy.
The other side may not be green always but at least you were one of the few ones who crossed over.
PS: To the loved ones: Le them at least try!!!
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Yes its difficult to take decisions sometimes, actually at most times and especially the ones that are not warranted by most of your loved ones. We often get caught up between doing what's essential from a practical point of view and what you always wanted to do.
A close friend of mine decided to quit her well paying job in an MNC company to set up her own house and wait until she found her calling. Most friends did not agree with her decision as they could not do it and wondered why would someone want to leave her job in these recessionary times. Today with just one month through her sabbatical she has discovered so many facets about herself that were unknown to her. She took classes at the Culinary Institute of America, went exercising everyday, took dance classes, spent time with her siblings and is sure that the entrepreneur in her is ready to take on the world.
Another friend of mine who just moved home after marriage to another country wrote this great article for the Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125480175834966795.html which again reaffirms my faith that any decision in life is not worth regretting.
More often than not we weigh our decisions with the impact it will have on the lives of those we love, but be selfish sometimes. The other side could be good for the both of you. Don't fear failure because you were at least courageous enough to try. There are so many people who at 60 realise that this is not what they ever wanted to do.
Answer your calling, take the decision that is only yours, don't seek affirmation always. Leave that cushiony job that does not excite you every minute of every day. Even if your calling is to do nothing but be the best homemaker or the best mother to your child, go ahead and do it. Your loved ones will be happy only if you are happy.
The other side may not be green always but at least you were one of the few ones who crossed over.
PS: To the loved ones: Le them at least try!!!
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Friday, July 24, 2009
GIFE
Wondering what is GIFE. It’s an element of our lives now and impossible to survive without. We turn to it for the smallest issue to the largest ones. It shares with us the experiences of others and the true meaning of all things tangible or otherwise.
GIFE is Google Life.
GIFE was a word that I coined when I realized the importance of Google in our lives. I realized how for all problems, Google is the easiest and simplest solution and obviously its FREE.
It’s a free consultation that you get to all concerns in life. It can be organizing your life with Google calendar, sync, alerts, reminder, it could be your child’s history project, family issues, property issues, restaurants, movies, entertainment, travel, work related to any industry.
I can’t think of one person who does not use Google or is not dependant on Google. The beauty of the whole dam company is that they understand their user so well that they have created a whole basket of Google products which simplifies life as much as it gets.
Google Chrome, picassa, blogspot, orkut, reader, talk, alerts, books, calendar, sync, news, images, maps, documents, you tube. The list is endless. They practically address every need that we possibly have.
I wonder sometimes that how would life be without Google? It’s literally for the people by the people and of the people. Language no bar, caste no bar, country no bar, operating system no bar, competition no bar at all.
I am amazed at the speed and innovation with which this organization works. If we just adopt their principles in real life what would it be like?
1. Simplicity
2. Futuristic
3. People important to you should be the epicenter of your life. Incase of Google it’s the end user
4. Adaptability
5. Change & innovation
6. Value relationships. If you value this then you will have the person you have for life
7. Service: There is no substitute to this one. Invest in your relationships
8. Great product: If you get this right you need not look any further.
We would have probably stagnated without the search results. So many questions would stay unanswered, isn’t it? How would it be without GIFE…Google the answer to our life
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GIFE is Google Life.
GIFE was a word that I coined when I realized the importance of Google in our lives. I realized how for all problems, Google is the easiest and simplest solution and obviously its FREE.
It’s a free consultation that you get to all concerns in life. It can be organizing your life with Google calendar, sync, alerts, reminder, it could be your child’s history project, family issues, property issues, restaurants, movies, entertainment, travel, work related to any industry.
I can’t think of one person who does not use Google or is not dependant on Google. The beauty of the whole dam company is that they understand their user so well that they have created a whole basket of Google products which simplifies life as much as it gets.
Google Chrome, picassa, blogspot, orkut, reader, talk, alerts, books, calendar, sync, news, images, maps, documents, you tube. The list is endless. They practically address every need that we possibly have.
I wonder sometimes that how would life be without Google? It’s literally for the people by the people and of the people. Language no bar, caste no bar, country no bar, operating system no bar, competition no bar at all.
I am amazed at the speed and innovation with which this organization works. If we just adopt their principles in real life what would it be like?
1. Simplicity
2. Futuristic
3. People important to you should be the epicenter of your life. Incase of Google it’s the end user
4. Adaptability
5. Change & innovation
6. Value relationships. If you value this then you will have the person you have for life
7. Service: There is no substitute to this one. Invest in your relationships
8. Great product: If you get this right you need not look any further.
We would have probably stagnated without the search results. So many questions would stay unanswered, isn’t it? How would it be without GIFE…Google the answer to our life
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Friday, July 10, 2009
Now
As i drive by Marine Drive in Mumbai and enjoy people wet themselves in the lashing waves and heavy rain I cherish the small joys of life which we often miss out in our race to life.
"Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go round? Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground? You better slow down, don't dance so fast. Time is short, the music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask after your loved ones, do you hear their reply? When the day is done, do you lie unhappy in your bed with the next day's chores running through your head?
Ever told your most precious person we'll meet tomorrow and in your haste not seen his or her sorrow? Ever lost touch, let a great friendship die because you didn't have the words or the time or the forgiveness to call and say `hi'?
When you run so fast to get somewhere You miss half the fun of getting there. Life is then an unopened gift... thrown away. Life is no race, do take it slower Hear the music before your song is over" And the boy you have been reading for years desperately wants to add:
Try and really live your Life Sad, mad, unglad never mind; it's yours at least! So enough of strife what joy is enlisted against your name you can't even imagine the same. Heartfelt believes your deepest dream, it upholds your deepest hope if you believe me today, you will see for yourself someday that what you want is nothing compared to what you are destined to have in someway.
Dont let go off people for all things material. That job will not last tommorow but your family will stand by you when its gone.
live those little dreams dont wait for tommorow.
Make life happen today
"Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go round? Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground? You better slow down, don't dance so fast. Time is short, the music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask after your loved ones, do you hear their reply? When the day is done, do you lie unhappy in your bed with the next day's chores running through your head?
Ever told your most precious person we'll meet tomorrow and in your haste not seen his or her sorrow? Ever lost touch, let a great friendship die because you didn't have the words or the time or the forgiveness to call and say `hi'?
When you run so fast to get somewhere You miss half the fun of getting there. Life is then an unopened gift... thrown away. Life is no race, do take it slower Hear the music before your song is over" And the boy you have been reading for years desperately wants to add:
Try and really live your Life Sad, mad, unglad never mind; it's yours at least! So enough of strife what joy is enlisted against your name you can't even imagine the same. Heartfelt believes your deepest dream, it upholds your deepest hope if you believe me today, you will see for yourself someday that what you want is nothing compared to what you are destined to have in someway.
Dont let go off people for all things material. That job will not last tommorow but your family will stand by you when its gone.
live those little dreams dont wait for tommorow.
Make life happen today
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Voice
I wish I could do this, wish I could take a break, don’t want to work anymore, want a holiday, want to study further, cant stay with in laws any more, want to travel for a year. These are wishes that a lot of people I know often say to me and I wonder why they can’t just do it. As Indians we are so “in time” for everything. There exists a right age for school, college, education, marriage, babies, family. We are so conditioned and actually scared to break away from the done that we instead let go off these wishes I say Indian because I feel Indians are far more suppressive with their desires than people in the western countries. And it’s in our roots, reflection of our society given the fact that we live among so many people that we are always worried about how they feel and what they think.
I can hardly think of any Indians who have decided to quit their cushiony job and taken a break to actually accomplish their wishes or secret careers.
Very few actually set out of their satisfying family lives or flourishing careers to complete their education. A friend of mine called me from Australia this morning saying she was fed up of her job and decided that she would instead travel to India for a year. I actually think it needs courage to take such a step. Not knowing the future and be ready to embrace life just the way it approaches you.
Dreams wishes, hidden desires, secret careers how often we actually voice all these. Few times or may be none. Why do we often chain ourselves in relationships and commitments that we stop living for ourselves? Or is it these relationships & commitments that actually keep the Indian family system running.
May be its worthwhile doing the wrong and not knowing what’s the future got in store. Maybe we should learn to flow like a little stream that does not know her path but is happy. It’s not always good to be perfect just let your self go. What you deserve you will get so it’s ok to take a chance and explore the unexplored.
Live those dreams so you have no regrets, surrender to life and VOICE all that you’ve suppressed
I can hardly think of any Indians who have decided to quit their cushiony job and taken a break to actually accomplish their wishes or secret careers.
Very few actually set out of their satisfying family lives or flourishing careers to complete their education. A friend of mine called me from Australia this morning saying she was fed up of her job and decided that she would instead travel to India for a year. I actually think it needs courage to take such a step. Not knowing the future and be ready to embrace life just the way it approaches you.
Dreams wishes, hidden desires, secret careers how often we actually voice all these. Few times or may be none. Why do we often chain ourselves in relationships and commitments that we stop living for ourselves? Or is it these relationships & commitments that actually keep the Indian family system running.
May be its worthwhile doing the wrong and not knowing what’s the future got in store. Maybe we should learn to flow like a little stream that does not know her path but is happy. It’s not always good to be perfect just let your self go. What you deserve you will get so it’s ok to take a chance and explore the unexplored.
Live those dreams so you have no regrets, surrender to life and VOICE all that you’ve suppressed
Thursday, February 19, 2009
When we were small!!!
This is truly inspired by my 3 month old daughter who amazes me with her little acts not every day but every moment.
Here is my lesson learnt…
When we were small everything we did was so cute… our smile so sweet, our tears so precious.
We didn’t care for what clothes we wore. Were they in fashion, were they brand new, what brand were they? Did I wear matching shoes with it? Were my hair shampooed everyday? Those little hands and small feet that cycled in the air, those innocent eyes that said a thousand words. Those cries and coos told everyone what you needed, what comforted you. One sound and the whole house would come running to see you. Wow! Blissful ain’t it.
You lived on milk alone with no other tastes. No Chinese, no thai, no pizza no pasta.
People waited for you too add some more fat. Truly fat looks so sweet only on babies. You never went to the gym to burn those calories, while you played in the garden and fell from the cycle all the chocolates and cheese got burnt.
When we were so small we couldn’t care less what people thought of us, whether they were friends or foes. Anybody who cooed back at us, we heartily cooed back with an innocent smile.
We didn’t know what ego was. There was no forgiveness as there was no disappointment.
There was only love as that was the only emotion we felt.
We didn’t know what religion was until we were taught.
There was no comparison, no envy as we were only content. The most expensive toys didn’t mean anything to us as we loved smiling just looking at the moving ceiling fan. We didn’t understand words to which we hold on so strongly over now. We just knew that somebody is talking to us and it sounded very sweet.
We trusted everybody who held us in their hands, we knew they would look after us really well. We trusted that our parents would give us the best food, values and education. We knew that the milk mom gave us was perfect, the fruits we ate were sweet; the water we bathed with was the right temperature.
We knew that whenever we fall there is mom to pick us up, look after us. Actually failure was never a fear. We fell so often but only to rise and play again.
Do you see the transition as we grow older, materialistic things precede love, you have less friends and more foes. I comes before us. Ego precedes all emotions.
Religion precedes humanity. Envy and competition comes before hard work.
Words have deeper meaning now and we try to dig and interpret those words in many different ways.
Trust seems to have disappeared completely. Once we grow up we don’t trust our parents, friends, spouses, colleagues. We just presume they will do us more harm than good.
Failure just wears us down, we cry over it and often take months and years to regain that strength to rise again. We blame people over our failure instead of starting the attempt to rise again.
I think, no actually believe that god made each one of us perfect but we just lost the goodness he gave us in the journey of life.
Lets try and be children again cause we were the best and the happiest “when we were small”
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Here is my lesson learnt…
When we were small everything we did was so cute… our smile so sweet, our tears so precious.
We didn’t care for what clothes we wore. Were they in fashion, were they brand new, what brand were they? Did I wear matching shoes with it? Were my hair shampooed everyday? Those little hands and small feet that cycled in the air, those innocent eyes that said a thousand words. Those cries and coos told everyone what you needed, what comforted you. One sound and the whole house would come running to see you. Wow! Blissful ain’t it.
You lived on milk alone with no other tastes. No Chinese, no thai, no pizza no pasta.
People waited for you too add some more fat. Truly fat looks so sweet only on babies. You never went to the gym to burn those calories, while you played in the garden and fell from the cycle all the chocolates and cheese got burnt.
When we were so small we couldn’t care less what people thought of us, whether they were friends or foes. Anybody who cooed back at us, we heartily cooed back with an innocent smile.
We didn’t know what ego was. There was no forgiveness as there was no disappointment.
There was only love as that was the only emotion we felt.
We didn’t know what religion was until we were taught.
There was no comparison, no envy as we were only content. The most expensive toys didn’t mean anything to us as we loved smiling just looking at the moving ceiling fan. We didn’t understand words to which we hold on so strongly over now. We just knew that somebody is talking to us and it sounded very sweet.
We trusted everybody who held us in their hands, we knew they would look after us really well. We trusted that our parents would give us the best food, values and education. We knew that the milk mom gave us was perfect, the fruits we ate were sweet; the water we bathed with was the right temperature.
We knew that whenever we fall there is mom to pick us up, look after us. Actually failure was never a fear. We fell so often but only to rise and play again.
Do you see the transition as we grow older, materialistic things precede love, you have less friends and more foes. I comes before us. Ego precedes all emotions.
Religion precedes humanity. Envy and competition comes before hard work.
Words have deeper meaning now and we try to dig and interpret those words in many different ways.
Trust seems to have disappeared completely. Once we grow up we don’t trust our parents, friends, spouses, colleagues. We just presume they will do us more harm than good.
Failure just wears us down, we cry over it and often take months and years to regain that strength to rise again. We blame people over our failure instead of starting the attempt to rise again.
I think, no actually believe that god made each one of us perfect but we just lost the goodness he gave us in the journey of life.
Lets try and be children again cause we were the best and the happiest “when we were small”
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Dates to Days
Personal experiences are not always enough to observe… Look around and the world has enough to offer for you to learn everyday. Often we get so consumed by our own problems, life, relationships that we walk in bright daylight with our vision blindfolded.
We become oblivion to life.
More often than not we always have special occasions in our life that earmark our life. A few significant dates that turn our lives around, make them beautiful, exciting or even ugly.
This date may bring you fame, fortune, love, loneliness, togetherness, whatever it maybe, but it will add a new dimension to your life. It could be your first date, your 1st anniversary, 1st birthday celebration with your husband, 1st few years after marriage, your baby’s 1st birthday, 1st promotion, 1st car, 1st day at work…
We celebrate all the firsts with so much excitement and love that the experience is overwhelming.
As we move on in life the past ceases to exist and a few more dates become of significance. Some would say that’s natural progression of life where newer events become significant and some would say those dates which changed your life will always be memorable and need to be cherished.
Let not the newer priorities take precedence over those important dates, they shaped your life. Let the celebrations continue through life for those are dates that bought you closer to your loved ones.
Don’t take those dates for granted there will always be circumstances that will force you to let go of those moments. But don’t succumb to circumstances, don’t let situations precede relationships. They will always provide resistance but it’s the strength of the relationship that needs to battle the resistance.
If you let go of it once, it will be gone for life. The turning points in your life will cease to exist. Soon you will realize that you have no special moments and no special people. All that you gave to those firsts is too far away. In fact after years of togetherness the chocolates that you send taste sweeter, the red roses seem even fresher, those stuff toys seem even more cozy, that candle light dinner and that walk on the beach by the moonlight even more romantic. Your child’s every birthday will mark a year of growing and learning,for the both of you. Your siblings’ occasions will only reassure him of your care and support.
Don’t let those ‘DATES BECOME DAYS’ ….
Start now, celebrate every day that you have with your loved ones and especially those DATES that gave you happiness forever…
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We become oblivion to life.
More often than not we always have special occasions in our life that earmark our life. A few significant dates that turn our lives around, make them beautiful, exciting or even ugly.
This date may bring you fame, fortune, love, loneliness, togetherness, whatever it maybe, but it will add a new dimension to your life. It could be your first date, your 1st anniversary, 1st birthday celebration with your husband, 1st few years after marriage, your baby’s 1st birthday, 1st promotion, 1st car, 1st day at work…
We celebrate all the firsts with so much excitement and love that the experience is overwhelming.
As we move on in life the past ceases to exist and a few more dates become of significance. Some would say that’s natural progression of life where newer events become significant and some would say those dates which changed your life will always be memorable and need to be cherished.
Let not the newer priorities take precedence over those important dates, they shaped your life. Let the celebrations continue through life for those are dates that bought you closer to your loved ones.
Don’t take those dates for granted there will always be circumstances that will force you to let go of those moments. But don’t succumb to circumstances, don’t let situations precede relationships. They will always provide resistance but it’s the strength of the relationship that needs to battle the resistance.
If you let go of it once, it will be gone for life. The turning points in your life will cease to exist. Soon you will realize that you have no special moments and no special people. All that you gave to those firsts is too far away. In fact after years of togetherness the chocolates that you send taste sweeter, the red roses seem even fresher, those stuff toys seem even more cozy, that candle light dinner and that walk on the beach by the moonlight even more romantic. Your child’s every birthday will mark a year of growing and learning,for the both of you. Your siblings’ occasions will only reassure him of your care and support.
Don’t let those ‘DATES BECOME DAYS’ ….
Start now, celebrate every day that you have with your loved ones and especially those DATES that gave you happiness forever…
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