Life, a window of opportunities.

“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger–but recognize the opportunity.” – John F. Kennedy

It has become human nature  for us to see the things in life that we do not have, and then sulk about it. Right from childhood, we have this compulsive desire to have the toys that our best friend has, and as we grow older, we make this a habit of wanting things that are around us but are not ours for some reason or the other. In the midst of all this, first, we forget to be thankful for the things that we already have, and second, we concentrate our energy on the “I do not have it” part rather than focusing upon the “How can I have it” part.

Everyone in life has an equal opportunity to achieve things that they want. The only difference between the winners and losers is that the winners take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to them. Some might argue that only the lucky few get the opportunity to do something big. Well, opportunities are not only for a select few. They are prevalent all around us, and it is up to us how we seize them. A pessimist might see his burned house as a life lost, an optimist will see this as an opportunity to build a new life.

It is not reasonable to stay in one’s comfort zone and complain about the things that are not going in the direction one wants them to go in. If you want to change your life and make a difference, then you ought to come out of that comfort zone and explore the opportunities that are around you. If you are unhappy with not having something in your life, introspect and understand why that is happening. Once you find the gaps between you and your aspirations, then comes the task to find the opportunities which bridges that gap. This will require determination and focus, but it’s better to do something for what you want rather than sulk and be depressed about not having it, isn’t it?

I began the article by a quote from John F. Kennedy which elucidated the beauty of opportunity. I close the article by a quote from Clifford Irving which says that one usually fails to perceive the opportunity, as what follows is hard work and perseverance to make it a reality.

“And also don’t forget, the reason opportunity is often missed is that it usually comes disguised as hard work.” – Clifford Irving,TRIAL – A Legal Thriller: Clifford Irving’s legal novels: Book 1

K.A.

Success depends on “U”

Stumbled upon this quote on a blog (http://everydaypowerblog.com/2014/12/26/awesome-inspirational-quotes-with-pictures/) and immediately fell in love with it!

You have the power to create your own destiny 🙂

K.A.

Breathe in your courage, exhale your fear.

Just stumbled upon this wonderful quote by Jonathan Lockwood Huie and felt like sharing it here. Breathing has always had a great significance in times of anxiety or distress. Be it the moments before an interview or the unexpected appearance of a crush, our first instinct is to breathe heavily to abate the tension building inside us. Breathing also plays an important role in yoga and meditation, thus suggesting its impact on relaxing us and improving our thinking abilities.

“I breathe in my courage and exhale my fear” is a wonderful pithy which tells us the essence of deep breathing. Whenever encountered by a tough situation, all we need is a balance of mind to come out of it, and the only thing that impedes us from doing so is our inherent fear of the opposition. Thus, practice the art of deep breathing daily so that whenever you are trapped in an intimidating circumstance, you can focus your thoughts and overcome your fears.

I hope this bold message serves as a kick start of the day for you all 🙂

K.A.

Would You Fear or Dare?

We often limit our potential because of our inherent fears. We fear, but worse, we blow it out of proportion, and then it stops us from moving forward. What we need to realize is that nothing comes easy. The only difference between the people who succeed and those who don’t is their perception of fear and their ability to overcome it.

Being nervous and a little fearful is a part of being human. In fact, the fear of failing at something is a result of our internal desire of succeeding at it! If you would not have wanted it so much, you would not have cared to win or loose in the same, and this is why I was deeply inspired by the quotation “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear”, by George Addair.

Hence, stop wasting your energy in fearing, rather invest it in working harder. Life is too short to compromise on your dreams just because of your fears. I’ll leave you all with a quote said by Michael Jordon – “Never say Never, because limits, like fear, are often just an illusion”

Since this is my first post of the year 2016, I wish all my readers a fearless New Year! May you reach the heights you deserve 🙂

K.A.

Happiness Lies In Humankind

We all today live in an era of science and technology and in a world which is better connected. We Humans have progressed to a level which seemed impossible just a few years back, we have set foot on the moon and in no time we will be ready to walk on mars. We today have opportunities to innovate and excel beyond our imaginations. We are jostling our way through life to climb the ladders of success. On the basis of what I have just said, I can safely conclude that the 21st century is the time to be, it is the time to rise and shine. However, reality suggests a different picture – An average human being is not that happy as he was in the previous century, and the depression rate is increasing at an alarming rate (The number of people diagnosed with depression increases by 20% every year.(http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/statistics-infographic)

There are many factors that lead to an unhappy life, but in my view the only thing that contributes most is our ignorance towards basic human relationships and to humanity. As Mother Teresa rightly said “if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other”. We are so much embroiled in our jobs and day to day life that we don’t even have time to talk to our close family members, let alone the community! India was a pioneer in the system of joint families, where up to three generations lived in the same household, helping each other and being there for each other in all walks of life. But alas, the nuclear family system is now prevalent in our culture rich country as well. We now want to be more independent, we want our “own space”, we want freedom! But then why, even after having all the freedom do we feel that something is missing?

There is a new way to become social these days – social networks, again a gift of technology. These networks were developed to give us the power to connect with the world, however what I see is the complete opposite, wherein we have given power to this technology to control us and our lives. It’s funny how a person will refrain from talking to his/her neighbor, but will have no reservations at all in sharing his/her personal life on the web with an unknown fellow living at an unknown place. We then become sequestered from the real world and try to find solace in our self-created virtual world. We share photos, information, our day to day activities on the social network like a madman, just hoping to receive a like or a comment from someone out there so that we can satiate our hunger of “company”.

If you are alone and depressed today, it is nothing but because of the result of your own actions. No outer force can help you come out of this state. You need to make changes in your lifestyle. Talk to the people around you, build real social networks, join community service! “If you are not making someone else’s life better, then you are not living at all” I love this quote by Will Smith. The joy you get, when you find time from your busy schedule and go out to help someone in need, rejuvenates you! It gives you a purpose to live. We surely weren’t born on this earth to live mechanical and independent lives and just die, did we? We were born in a community for a reason. Let us all revive the convivial spirit that is buried deep down within us. Let us try and be happy for what we have. Let us be ambitious, but may we never forget the roots and the culture to which we were born to. Let us make time for our family. Let us make a difference in someone else’s life. Let not technology control us, but let us build a more safer and happy world by holding and giving helping hands.

K.A.

Youer than you!

In order to understand our desires in life we constantly evaluate ourselves with respect to the world around us. We observe the people who are successful and we then try to emulate them in order to taste success in our own lives. Folks, there are only two kinds of reactions that you can get if you follow such kind of an approach: You would either be enamored by the other person’s life and end up being jealous, or you may get intimidated by the person’s success and end up losing your confidence!

You need to realize that the life around you and the “successful” world around you was built up by people who are no smarter than you! The only difference between you and such people is that they stood out from the crowd and followed what they believed in, while you never introspected of what you really wanted, and you blindly started following them!

Stop living someone else’s dream. Try to find your own inner voice. Believe in yourself and your passions. Don’t be daunted and afraid to walk on a path that takes you away from the well traveled path. If your will to succeed in your dreams is strong enough, you would eventually find the ways and resources you need to achieve them. Everything that happens to you does not depend on the world outside you but it relies upon what you believe in with all your heart. Take your life in your hands because, as Dr. Seuss said, there is no one youer than you! 🙂

K.A.

Miles To Run Before I Sleep – Sumedha Mahajan

This book narrates the journey of the author herself, from being an ordinary woman to an extraordinary and inspiring individual. Sumedha took up the daunting task of running 1500 kms, from Delhi to Mumbai, in conditions so tough that even the strongest men may not have the guts to pursue. Running on Indian highways is no joke for they are an amalgamation of pollution and rash driving, coupled with nasty oglers and suspicious eyes if you are a woman. Yet, Sumedha relentlessly followed her passion to run for a cause and make a difference.

However, this run made her live through a wide gamut of emotions. She Faced brutal conditions throughout her run which ranged from coping up with health issues including asthama, infections and fractures, to withstanding noise and pollution while gushing through the hustle and bustle of roads inundated with traffic. She also experienced silence and spirituality while running through the hills and being close to nature. She fought against moments when she wished to quit and kept moving on. Amidst all this, Sumedha came out be a new person all together: endurance and perseverance had become her friends, and when the whole thing got over, she experienced self-realization and found her purpose in life.

“Miles to run before I sleep” is thus an excellent piece of work by such an extraordinary woman. Being a woman comes with a lot of convictions by default. One such belief is that “woman cannot run because they are weak”. True, female bodies go through a lot over time, which includes the monthly cycle of menstruation. But that does not make them weak in any way. Sumedha’s run is a strong reply to people who think this way as she kept on running even when she was going through the same female natural process. She defied her cramps and showed the world that women are made of stronger stuff.

I am a woman and I aspire to break all the shackles of stigma that prevail with respect to women, and achieve my dreams. Gifted by someone special who believes in me, this book just took my determination to another level. If you wish to be inspired, please go grab a copy asap!

K.A.

The Power Of Dreams

Walt Disney taught us that if we can dream, we can do it. Eleanor Roosevelt taught us that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. There have been many great souls who have touched the hearts of millions and motivated us all to dream. However, in today’s world, it seems that the will to dream has been lost somewhere, and we human beings have become ignorant towards realizing the power of our conscious.

Life seems to be a routine now. Each one of us is struggling with the perfunctory tasks of waking up, going to work or school, eating and sleeping. These mundane jobs have managed to conquer our lives to such an extent that we don’t find time even for our hobbies or for physical activities. No wonders peace of mind and good health have gone down the drain. We all tell ourselves that we are doing the smart thing by studying for the most coveted course or by working for the most lucrative job or by marrying and having a family at the right time. Let me tell you one thing, you may rule the world if you want to but if that is what your heart did not want, it can never be good for you. Happiness evades, stress prevails and then you sit and ponder about where your life went.

By following the usual “assembly line” of things, we are not doing any good, neither to ourselves and nor to the world. Why assembly line? Well, think about this, how many of us are being creative in our lives? Are we experimenting with anything? Are we taking risks in life? Are we doing what our heart wants? I’m sure most of us will say no, and thus the assembly line. As soon as we are born we are placed on this invisible car which drives you through a road of commonplace. You are a product being manufactured on the terms of others, and you end up creating a belief system within yourself in accordance to the world, you start collecting degrees and working according to circumstances and not your own will. This is similar to producing coke cans – an empty can which is filled with the same drink so that it can be drunk by the same set of customers, ultimately to be thrown away and recycled.

In order to live a life of purpose, you need to understand what you want. Question is how would you do that? The answer is pretty simple – Dream. Like all great men and women have done before. They dreamt. Martin Luther King dreamt of a country that is free of slaves. Steven Spielberg dreamed of making films right from age 12, the first time he borrowed his father’s camera. J.K. Rowling dreamed to write since she was a child. There are many more such people who believed in their dreams and are now achieving paramount heights.

Why dreams are so important, you may ask. Well, dreams spark desire. Desire motivates you to seek and when you start seeking something, you develop will power and perseverance. Unless and until you clearly visualize what you want to become, unless and until you are not willing to give your days and nights for something, you cannot achieve it. Why? Well because the world is full of easy ways out, of naysayers who would be standing at every corner of the road telling you that what you are doing is not worth it. If you are not firm of your goals and ambitions, you will be knocked down. And in order to hold your goals tight to your heart, you need to dream of them first.

People, wake up. Take risks. Make a life not just live a life. Have the courage to follow your heart. Take up challenges. Love and make your partner feel loved. Provide happiness to your family. Create a holistic environment around you, for what is the purpose of living if you are not happy from within? Get off that assembly line and start being creative. And the only way to do that is to dream. 🙂

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr

K.A.

The Beauty Of Womanhood

Womanhood is something special and is a storehouse of amazing powers. However, most of us women do not acknowledge this great energy within us, firstly because we are ignorant about it and secondly because we are trapped in a society with numerous stereotypes, for instance, women can’t drive, women are not productive at work, women are weak, women talk a lot of nonsense, women are supposed to cook, women are supposed to understand their husbands and compromise or adjust.  All of these external stigmas impede women from unleashing their true potential. But let me tell you one thing very frankly, being a woman is not about doing house chores, it is not about getting married and it is certainly not about producing children. A successful woman is one who can build a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at her.

In order to fight these conventions, we first need to sort out our internal doubts. In order for others to accept you, you first need to accept yourself. If you don’t love your self, if you don’t have confidence within you, if you are not sure about your goals in life; then the world will not love you, will not have confidence in you, and will always question you on your goals. It does not matter if you are tall or short or slim or fat, what matters is your ability to express yourself and your ideologies boldly. Do you know that you have greatness hidden within you? You have the ability to produce another human, and you have the ability to think, reason and be logical at the same time; damn, you are the most precious, intelligent being on earth! You don’t need to change yourself to assimilate with the society. You have as much right to stand on your own feet and follow your dreams as your male counterpart.

Our country lags way behind in terms of sex ratio and girl child awareness and education. If you are privileged to live in an educated family and work at your own will, then take a step forward and be an example to crores of women in the country who still don’t have a voice. Don’t let the naysayers trammel your energy. We can bring change, only by being the change ourselves. Be a woman, and be proud of it!

K.A.

Message In A Bottle – Nicholas Sparks

“There are winds of destiny that blow when we least expect them. Sometimes they gust with the fury of a hurricane, sometimes they barely fan one’s cheek. But the winds cannot be denied, bringing as they often do a future that is impossible to ignore.”

Somehow Nicholas Sparks has always the right words to touch your heart in ways you couldn’t even imagine! Message in a bottle is one of many such stories written by Nicholas. The book provides the reader with a poetic narrative of the love story of Theresa and Garret. It all starts when Theresa discovers a bottle washed up at the beach where she was vacationing. Inside the bottle is a letter addressed to Catherine. “My Dearest Catherine, I miss you my darling, as I always do, but today is particularly hard because the ocean has been singing to me, and the song is that of our life together.” The letter touches Theresa’s heart and she is made to ponder on whether such kind of a love truly exists. After her failed marriage, she is determined to personally meet the person who wrote such a beautiful letter.

Garret, the author of the letters written to Catherine, lives in his own small sequestered world. He owns a shop, is a diving instructor and builds boats – all in all he enjoys his life living along the sea. He lost his wife Catherine when she died of illness and ever since Garret has resorted to writing letters and throwing them in the sea in sealed bottles, as it was the only way he knew to express his undying love. Never did he know that one day, one of these letters would make him meet Theresa, and so would begin a new chapter in his life.

The story kept me engrossed throughout! It is a book filled with undulating emotions, and through Theresa and Garret you would experience a fresh breath of love and happiness all together. The novel has suspense elements as well and they would make your insides tighten when they finally unravel! The writing is easy to understand but it never leaves it’s poetic nature. Since the story revolves around the life along beaches and oceans, the reader would have a wonderful time imagining such a beautiful world. Thus, the novel not only provides you with a moving love story, it also opens the gateways of scenic beaches, beautiful dawns and dusk along the ocean horizon and starry nights. I would thus highly recommend this book to all the people out there who wish to experience such an achingly loving story 🙂

K.A.