It's like the FIRST time EVERY time

There is something unique and special about any life experience... when it occurs the first time..
And the first of anything always etches a special place in our heart..

Be it your first victory
Be it your first loss
Be it your first real achievement
Be it your first earning
Be it your first child
Be it your first love
Be it your first school
Be it your first real teacher
Be it your first friend
Be it your first life lesson
Be it your first job
Be it your first ....

However, there are some experiences in life which are like the first time every single time..
I wonder why?

Is it because we have not really experienced it?
Is it because we are just too emotional about it?
Is it because we are never really strong enough to face it?
Is it because every time it happens there's an indescribable newness?
Is it because it happened so long ago that we almost forgot how we felt?

Small Town Life v/s The Big City Life

I recently had the opportunity to spend a few days in a small town in India… A good break from the monotony and drudgery of city life left me energized and revitalized.

My random notes below:

	Metro	Town
Quality of Air	Highly polluted and Impure	Clean and fresh
Cost of Living	High. E.g.: On an average weekly vegetables cost Rs. 1000	Remarkably Low. E.g.: On an average weekly vegetables cost Rs. 120
Technology Penetration	High	Low – Medium
Mode of Payment for any purchase	Primarily Cards – Credit cards, Debit cards [Electronic payments]….	Primarily Cash
General Happiness Quotient	Low… Most of the times, people are cribbing about a zillion things which they don’t have or which they desire	High… Most of the times, people appeared to be happy and content, inspite of not really having even 30% of the things which people in the metros have access to
How people live?	In the e-world [electronic world]. Everything is almost virtual apart from the basics of life	In the real world! And that makes an ocean of difference in one’s view of themselves and their life

A Tribute to Woman

Over the last few days, I have interacted with several woman
All of different ages
All in different phases of life
All from different social standing
All from different nationalities
All shapes and sizes

And I learnt their life stories
Their joys
Their past
Their sorrow
Their histories
Their strengths
Their weaknesses
Their thoughts
Their journies of life

And here's what I realized
They endure - beyond what anyone can imagine
They sacrifice - what they love the most
They support - in ways one can never envisage
They love - completely
They care - from really deep down
They serve - unconditionally in many different ways
They understand - beyond what's said
They act - for the good of other's
They play so many roles beautifully - irrespective of how many roles they are currently playing
They multi task - brilliantly
They believe - so that other's continue to believe
They hope - even when other's have given up
They adapt - to make life easy for others
They dream - to keep going through the journey of life
They emote - to express all that's hidden deep down
They protect - to keep other's safe

This post is dedicated to all women..
In acknowledgement and appreciation....
For everything...

Start Afresh or Clean The Mess????

Wonder what would be easier
To Start Afresh or Clean the Mess

* Be it the relationships in your life
* Be it the state of your finances
* Be it the data on your hard disk
* Be it the disorganized mails in your mailbox
* Be it the junk in your house
* Be it the baggage in your mind
* Be it the emotional turmoil
* Be it the shape of your body

There are definite positives and negatives to both...
And we can analyze and dissect them eternally..

All said and done
There is a unique thrill, charm and excitement in starting afresh
But some day it can get messy too

But when you clean the mess
There is a sense of achievement
There is a sense of continuity
There is a sense of completion
There is a sense of peace

Support a Cause

Many ways to Support a Cause
1) By creating awareness & educating others (Of course you got to first be aware & educated yourself)
2) By acting in favor of the cause (& its many manifestations)
3) By sharing your personal learning's / experiences - Both good and bad!
4) By providing financial assistance
5) By not objecting / unnecessarily interfering with those supporting a cause
6) By providing ideas / suggestions / inputs / recommendations for the cause / to support a cause
7) By assisting those who are supporting the cause (In whatever way you can; & In whatever way they need!) - This can simply translate into making day-today things easy for them so that they can focus their time, efforts and energies towards a larger cause...
8) By motivating those who believe in the cause - Especially when everything does not look bright and optimistic. Its these times when a little motivation can help in crossing the chasm
9) By just being there - Sometimes as a silent spectator, Sometimes as an observer, Sometimes as a friend, Sometimes as a philospher, Sometimes as a guide, Sometimes as a mentor, Sometimes are a confidant, Sometimes as a sounding board, Sometimes as a critic, Sometimes with an acknowledgement of efforts (irrespective of the fruits they bear), Sometimes with appreciation and praise, And Sometimes as just another human being....

What is NORMAL?

I have been mulling over this for a very long time
What is NORMAL?

Many things I see
In my view, they are NOT normal
But to many, they are normal

Many things I hear
In my view, they are NOT normal
But to many, they are normal

Many things I experience
In my view, they are NOT normal
But to many, they are normal

Then, what is NORMAL?

Several minutes of observation...
Several hours of reflection...
Several days of introspection...
Several weeks of comprehension...

My words of wisdom
* Normal is subjective ; To each it means something else
* Normal is relative word ; There is no abolute or objective meaning
* What is normal for one may not necessarily be normal for the other
* Our definition of what is normal is based on the lens that we wear. And the lens we adorn is based on several things - our upbringing, our lifestyle, our culture, our environment, our experiences, our beliefs, our values, our priorities, our influences, our friends and family, our .....

Life becomes easy...

Life becomes easy

When you begin to comprehend its realities
When you begin to appreciate its complexities
When you begin to accept its many unexplainable actualities

And acceptance is really a function of the mind

You may yet not understand in entirelity
You may still have a zillion questions unaswered
You may still have all the conflicts buzzing in your mind..

But when you learn to start accepting
And stop questioning everything

There is calm
There is internal peace
And life becomes easy...